


Drive Me Crazy

by TrippNessa



Category: Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Action, Drama, F/M, Humor, M/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-02-03
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2017-10-24 12:36:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 167,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/263536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrippNessa/pseuds/TrippNessa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rubbing his temples in frustration, chaos having once again erupted in the base, the Kaiser realized without a doubt that capturing Daisuke instead of the blond kid had been his first mistake…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Ominous Prisoner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting: AU Kaiser Saga; between episodes 17 and 18. Older Chosen in college, younger in high school.
> 
> Beta Readers: TeamAbodo and Vertorm
> 
> Author's Note: I’ve always wondered what would have happened if Ken had ever captured one of the Chosen. I've read a lot of Daiken fics like that but almost all of them made Ken out to be incredibly disturbed, and I just don't think he would have been that extreme. A huge jerk for sure, but not a violent psycho rapist. So after a lot of thought I came up with this story. It will be mostly Daisuke x Ken with slight Takeru x Hikari here and there. I will be using the Japanese character names, digimon names, terms, attacks, etc. If you don't know what something means, just leave me a comment and I'll reply as soon as I can.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, though I certainly thank the creators for their amazing work! Digimon is the property of Akiyoshi Hongo, Saban, Toei, WiZ and Bandai, and is not my intellectual property in any way. There is no financial gain made from this, nor will any be sought. The entirety of this story is for entertainment purposes only.

"Deadly Sting!" the cry of a Flymon echoed above the thick digital woods. Its red stinger shot toward Pegasmon, Takeru sitting atop his back and holding on as best he could. He knew from years of fighting what was coming next and quickly tightened his grip with his hands and knees.

Pegasmon jerked his wings and his body was thrust to the right, Takeru leaning with it to keep himself balanced. The stinger missed and fell to the grass below, landing right beside the forest line. Seconds later the loud humming of insect wings filled the air as the Flymon charged forward.

As Pegasmon's wings began to glow with a black aura, Takeru flattened himself down against the back of his neck and held on tight. With a strong flap of his wings, a wide-range burst of stars was sent toward the Flymon for a higher chance of hitting.

"Shooting Star!" Pegasmon called out, and the Flymon were sent crashing down into the woods below with a burst of leaves and a loud buzzing sound.

"We have to help them!" Takeru called out and pointed frantically at their only two allies - Fladramon on the ground next to the edge of the forest and Daisuke beside him. Five Flymon were surrounding them and firing their poisoned stingers one after another. Fladramon was doing his best to deflect the attacks away from Daisuke, but how long could he keep it up? If only they hadn't split up with the others...

The Chosen had discovered a signal on their D-3s that appeared to be from Ken, but in two different locations. They weren't sure which one was real, or if either of them even were. On top of that they only had an hour or so before their parents would start asking concerned questions about why they'd stayed out so late. That was when Miyako suggested splitting up. Takeru hadn’t like the idea at all though, and had tried his hardest to get the group to reconsider.

The year he'd spent trapped in the Digital World as a young child had proven time and time again that the group should _never_ split up unless they truly had no other option. Hikari knew exactly what he meant, but unfortunately Iori, Daisuke and Miyako just didn't have the experience to understand their warnings. So in the end, the three new Chosen's vote to split up had outnumbered his and Hikari's pleas to just stay together and investigate one location at a time.

Fearing a possible ordeal over who got to be grouped up with Hikari, Iori made Daisuke and Takeru go together and head toward one signal while he and the two girls went for the other. Unfortunately for Takeru, the way he and Daisuke had gone ended up being the one with a trap. Worse yet, the abrupt and jerky movements in Pegasmon's flying were making it impossible to pull out his D-Terminal and message the others.

He shouldn't have gone out into the fight like this, but he’d really wanted to help. There had been countless times where he'd been able to warn Pegasmon of an incoming attack because he'd been right there with him, so he'd chosen to stay riding on his back even when the Flymon were approaching. So many mistakes had been made now...

Daisuke seemed to be having a different problem. His D-Terminal had been knocked out of his hands by a Flymon, and now that he and Fladramon were surrounded and being fired at, he couldn't manage to get back over to it. Every time he tried to make a break for it he was cut off and knocked back over to the tree line.

"Takeru!" Daisuke called up to them. "We need to get out of here!"

"Fladramon, grab Daisuke and we'll-!" Takeru began saying, but he cut himself off with a gasp when three of the Flymon's stingers finally met their target. Fladramon grunted and doubled over in pain, his body shivering uncontrollably from the poison that was now spreading through his system.

As Pegasmon bolted for the ground, Takeru had to hold his breath and squint his eyes against the lashing wind. The blurred vision of the Flymon group played out in front of his half shut eyes, their clawed feet lifting Fladramon and Daisuke up into the air and dropping them. Takeru’s chest tightened with despair and he prayed that they would be fast enough to at least catch Daisuke. However, with his added weight on Pegasmon's back he realized very quickly that they weren't going to make it.

A terrible thud rang out as they landed, Fladramon degenerating back into V-Mon and lying unconscious in the dirt. Daisuke cried out and curled up in pain beside his partner as blood stained the ground beneath him.

Takeru cringed at the sounds and squeezed his eyes shut. His arms were shaking and desperation was making it even harder to breathe over the rushing wind. This was exactly what he'd tried to warn them about!

Before they even reached the ground, the Flymon group turned and charged at Pegasmon instead. They knocked him around in the air and stung him with their stingers, which immediately caused his movements to lag. Eventually Pegasmon couldn't flap his wings fast enough to keep himself elevated anymore and they plummeted toward the ground.

The world spun into a twisting whirl of colors and buzzing noises. Takeru was thrown off Pegasmon's back during the confusion, and with a frantic scream he tried to reach out and grab him. However, his hands merely thrashed against air. They were luckier than Daisuke and Fladramon at least, having been much closer to the ground and managing to land in a soft patch of grass just outside the forest.

The left side of Takeru’s body hit the field; first his foot, then his shoulder, and last was the side of his head. Immediately the buzzing from the Flymons' wings were smothered by a burst of shrill ringing in his ears and a dull throb crawled up his now injured leg.

The sound of Pegasmon degenerating from just over to Takeru's right managed to make its way through all the noise. He rolled over onto his hands and knees as a sharp pain beat against his temples. He didn't think he could walk with everything still spinning so much, so instead he crawled. He reached out toward the fuzzy mass of orange and white that he thought was Patamon's body. Thankfully he was right, and he pulled his partner’s unconscious form into his arms.

This was entirely his fault! If he'd just been more persistent about not splitting up then none of this would be happening! He hadn't explained well enough, he should have just-!

"Poison Powder!"

Takeru gasped as a cloud of dust suddenly formed around them. He threw a hand over his nose and mouth, and his other hand over Patamon's. He wasn't sure what would happen if they breathed it in, but the name of the attack said more than enough.

The sound of hoarse coughing filled the air and Takeru immediately recognized it as Daisuke. Adrenalin coursed through him. He forced himself up onto his feet and limped as fast as he could toward his friend. He focused hard and squinted, managing to get some of the vertigo and ringing to go away. That probably would have been enough for him to figure out where he was going, except that the rest of the Flymon were now using their Poison Powder attacks as well. Immediately the cloud around them became so thick that he could no longer see anything but a sea of brown.

"Daisuke, hold your breath!" Takeru called out blindly. The air burned his eyes and the ground was getting harder to walk on with his leg hurting so much, especially now that he'd made it out of the grass and onto rocky, uneven dirt. A few more seconds passed and he couldn't hold his breath any longer. Pulling his shirt up over his nose, he breathed in as little as possible and held it again. He could quickly feel himself getting dizzier.

With a sudden burst of manic laughter, a strong gust of wind blew the poison cloud away. Takeru couldn't support himself on his injured ankle anymore and fell to his knees. He realized that he was now sitting right where Daisuke had been, the stains of blood painted upon the dirt beside him. However, that was the only thing next to him, Daisuke no longer anywhere in sight.

"Hello... Takaishi, was it?" an all too familiar voice slithered into his ears from somewhere nearby, sending a chill up his spine.

" _Ichijouji_ ," Takeru verbally spat up at the Kaiser who was riding on an Airdramon above them. He had an egotistical smirk on his face, his whip in hand, and an overall obnoxious aura about him. Wormmon was right by his feet and looking like he didn't really know what to do - quite the opposite of Ken. There was something else on the Airdramon as well, something with maroon hair and...

"Daisuke!" Takeru gasped.

Ken chuckled, sarcasm dripping like acid from his voice. "How observant."

Takeru tried to stand up and help somehow, but the moment he straightened his legs a wave of dizziness and nausea crashed against him. His head spun and he fell back down onto the ground, dropping Patamon beside him in the process.

This, of course, only made Ken laugh more. "Ah, your skills overwhelm."

"Shut up!" Takeru yelled and clenched his fists. Had capturing one of them been Ken’s plan all along, or was he just taking advantage of the opportunity? Frustration overwhelmed Takeru’s previously demoralized mind at the thought. "Let Daisuke go!"

"Hmm," Ken hummed and tapped his chin in mock-consideration. "That's a _nice_ thought, but I don't believe you are in any position to be giving _me_ orders, _are_ you?"

"What are you going to do with him?" Takeru seethed and grit his teeth, glaring up at the Kaiser. "Use him as a hostage?"

Ken offered a dull expression before responding, "Oh you'd just _love_ for me to spill my entire plan, wouldn't you?" Suddenly he snapped his fingers and turned to one of the Flymon. "Make sure he passes out."

The Flymon that had just been given orders flew down toward Takeru and created another poisoned mist around him. It wasn't as thick this time, and he could still see Ken enough to watch him reach into his pocket to pull out what appeared to be a whistle. A high pitched ring was sent out into the woods, piercing into Takeru’s skull like a bolt of lightning. The rest of Ken’s slaves rose up into the air and began flying away.

"No! Stop!" Takeru called out, hoping that somehow his screams would actually get them to turn around and come back. If Patamon could just evolve somehow then he could... he could...! There had to be something he could do! He couldn't just lie there and let this happen!

His head was so light now that he could hardly even sit up anymore. White spots were appearing all around him and the scenery was starting to twist and spin again. It gave him the same sense of falling that he'd previously experienced.

“Let him go!” Takeru shouted as loudly as he could. “ _Ichijouji_!” His screams were ineffective though, and the Flymon that was still there simply hovered in the air next to him.

Takeru slammed his fists onto the ground as Ken and his slaves flew out of earshot. The Kaiser had won. It was just like before, when Devimon had killed Patamon... He was lying beaten and worthless on the ground, unable to help at all while a friend was taken away.

Takeru forced his aching body to try and crawl out of the cloud. He reached over and picked up Patamon again, clutching him protectively as an all too familiar fear of loss filled his already nauseous stomach. In response to his attempt to escape, the Flymon created more poisoned dust in the direction that he was moving toward.

Hysteria took over and tears tugged at his eyes. He could hardly breathe as the scenery began to blur and fade out entirely. The white spots danced in front of his vision as they quickly became more solid than the world around him...

********************

Miyako frowned. She, Iori, Hikari and their digimon had been searching the forest clearing for quite a while now. So far they'd found nothing out of the ordinary, seen no signs of the Kaiser, nor discovered any indications that he'd even been there at all. It had been nothing but a sea of wasted time.

On top of that she still hadn't heard anything from Takeru or Daisuke yet, which was very unlike them - especially Takeru, who had always been one of the most punctual and responsible in the group. Even space-case Daisuke wouldn't have forgotten something as important as this though, so she was starting to get nervous.

"Hmm..." Miyako trailed off to no one in particular and looked around a bit more. There was a blue expanse of sky, lush grass, tall trees and, well… that was pretty much it. The area itself was quite large, enough that it required more time than she'd expected to fully investigate.

“Do you think we should head back now?” Miyako called back to the others. “I haven't heard from the guys yet.”

"They really haven't said anything?" Hikari turned away from the edge of the clearing and gave Miyako a worried look, Nefertimon beside her. "It’s already been thirty minutes since we left… Surely they would have found their location by now."

"Maybe they just forgot to check their messages?" Iori suggested, appearing to be the only one still genuinely looking for signs of Ken as he investigated a bush with Armadimon. "I'm sure they would have said something if the Kaiser was there."

"That doesn't make sense though," Holsmon said with a frown as he walked over to Miyako. "Why would we get Ken's D-3 signal in two different places and have him not show up in either?"

"Don't speak too soon," Nefertimon scoffed, her annoyance with Ken’s ability to slither out of the shadows like a virulent snake quite clear in her voice. "Ken's pretty good at popping up out of nowhere."

Miyako crossed her arms, "Yeah, but they didn't even give me a yes or no when I asked if they were okay." Deciding that being proactive was much more her style, she pulled out her D-3 and pressed a button on the front. After bringing up the Digital World map, she panned out as far as it would go. Of course that wasn't very far with its limited programming, but it _was_ far enough to see the other group's location where... only Takeru was? Where the heck was Daisuke? Had something happened to his D-3?

"What's wrong, Miyako?" Hikari asked as she and the rest of the group quickly walked over to see what she was looking at. Miyako felt nervous and unsure of how to answer Hikari's question. She didn’t want to cast a cloud of distress upon the group, but…

Memories of Takeru's warnings to not split up flashed through her memory, causing pangs of guilt to reverberate against her chest. He and Hikari had warned them, but they’d been so insistent to split up - especially Miyako.

With a deep breath she silenced her mind. Everything was fine. "Well, I see Takeru, but I don't see Daisuke. He's not anywhere nearby, and I _know_ they wouldn't have split up further."

"Maybe Daisuke went home to get something?" Armadimon offered slowly, but he clearly didn't believe in his own words.

Iori placed a knuckle over his lips in thought, "What if this whole thing was just a glitch or something? Maybe Ken was in both places at some point, and for whatever reason the signals just didn't go away until now."

"I guess..." Hikari trailed off. Miyako could tell that she was on edge from the apprehensive shadows that had cast over her face. A very bad feeling was settling inside of her as well now. No matter how many excuses she came up with, she just couldn't find a good reason for Takeru and Daisuke to ignore her messages like this. They wouldn't do that no matter what had happened, they just _wouldn't_ \- not even Daisuke.

Miyako had always been as stubborn as an ox, and unfortunately so was Daisuke. It was exactly why they fought so much, and over such petty things. Even with all of their bickering though, they’d still managed to become friends. Argumentative friends, but friends nonetheless. Their adventures together had helped Miyako see that Daisuke wasn't the simple moron that she'd originally viewed him as. He could certainly drive her nuts sometimes, but his bravery, loyalty, compassion and responsibility when it mattered greatly made up for it.

All of this was exactly why he would never fail to communicate with them in a situation like this, no matter how lazy he was.

"I'm going," Hikari suddenly announced as she pulled herself up onto Nefertimon's back. Miyako quickly followed her lead and got up on top of Holsmon. She reached down and helped Iori and Armadimon climb up with her since they had no means of flying otherwise. Hikari got out her D-3 after that and took off with Nefertimon, Holsmon following closely behind them.

The flight was painfully slow, seeming to take hours when it only took about eight minutes. Miyako knew deep down that her perception of time was off because she was stressed, but that didn't make it any less irritating. What if... What if Takeru had been right about not splitting up and now something bad had happened?

_No_ , she wasn't going to think that way. She had to stay positive or else-

"Hey, I think I see something!" Hikari called back to them and pointed down at the ground. Miyako looked around and quickly spotted what Hikari had been referring to. She had to squint to get a good look at it, but she was pretty sure that it was...

Both girls gasped when they recognized the crumpled body of Takeru lying in the dirt with Patamon beside him. Neither were moving, and there were definitely signs of battle scarred upon the land around them. The air was thick and the ground was littered with large stingers. There were scorch marks all over the trees and grass, and was that… _blood_?!

Before Nefertimon could even reach the ground, Hikari had already leaped off and was running as fast as she could over to him with Miyako and Iori not far behind her.

Seeing Takeru up close caused a wave of nausea to hit Miyako's stomach hard. His head and ankle were horribly swollen and bleeding, dirt covering most of his body. His face was unnaturally pale and there were too many cuts, scrapes and bruises to count. Patamon was in an equally bad condition; bent wings, bruised body, swollen limbs and dirt was smeared all over his face and appendages.

"What happened?!" Miyako exclaimed as she covered her mouth with her hands. Panic and guilt overwhelmed her senses. Why hadn't Takeru or Daisuke called for help if they were attacked?! _And where the hell was Daisuke?!_ Takeru was right, they never should have split up! If she would have just shut her big, fat mouth and listened to him, then...!

"Takeru! Are you okay?! Takeru!" Hikari shouted hysterically as she knelt down beside him. Tears flooded her eyes when she received no response from him or Patamon. She tried shaking his shoulder, not hard enough to cause further injury, but enough to hopefully stir him. When he didn't react to it at all though, Hikari broke down crying and covered her face with her hands.

Iori couldn't seem to get his mind or body to move under his own willpower. His eyes were wide and locked onto Takeru and Patamon as he started to shake uncontrollably.

Were they… dead?

"This is all my fault..." Miyako whispered. She'd been so sure of her own correctness that she'd dismissed the warnings of someone with more experience than her. She'd caused all of her friends' misery, and now they were-

Miyako shook her head violently and pain crept up the sides of her skull from the sudden movement.

"I'll message Yamato and Jyou!" Miyako’s voice came out firmer than she'd expected as she pulled out her D-Terminal. She didn't have time for self criticism. She was the only one in the group who was managing to remain somewhat composed, so she needed to keep it together long enough to call for help!

********************

The first thing Daisuke became aware of was the warm blanket lying softly over his body, followed by the fluffy pillow under his head and the cozy mattress beneath his back. All he really wanted to do was go back to sleep and ignore everything else. However, there was something in the back of his mind which was preventing him from doing so.

He had yet to open his eyes, but he didn't need to in order to notice the bright fluorescent lights filling the room he was in and making it hard to keep sleeping. He figured he should probably just look around and find out where he was since the nagging feeling just wasn't going away. It was only getting louder every second, telling him quite firmly that regardless of the comfort this was _not_ a place he wanted to be in. He really had to wonder how anywhere with a bed this soft could be all that bad, though.

He continued to lie there for a bit longer, but eventually he decided to play it safe for once and slowly opened his eyes. A few seconds later he decided that he was going to listen to his gut feelings from now on, no matter _what_.

The room he was in was definitely not one that he recognized. The walls were made of metal and there were no windows anywhere, just a strangely large door with many locks. How had he gotten here? The last thing he remembered was...

"Ah, shit..." Daisuke swore quietly to himself as he looked around the room of the Kaiser's base, paying more attention to detail now. The most noticeable thing was the flat screen TV on the wall directly in front of him. Underneath it was a strange square hole in the wall with a few buttons below it, though he had no idea what they were for. The hole itself was roughly the size of a microwave.

To the right of the television was a desk and chair with a small trashcan beside it, and to the left was a massive bookshelf. Various books of different colors, shapes and sizes had been crowded onto it. However, there was a noticeably empty shelf right in the center of it for some reason.

Daisuke looked to his left, and along the same wall as the head of the bed was a closet with a mirror on the sliding door. To his right was a small bedside table with a lamp and a drawer.

Curiosity overcame him and he reached over to open the drawer. He was both surprised and furious to find his goggles inside, though they were all chipped, bent up and cracked.

" _Oh_ I'm gonna _kill_ him!" Daisuke seethed as he cradled his precious possession, various forms of revenge festering in his mind. He decided to ignore the fact that he was more pissed about the small accessory being damaged than at being held captive in the first place. _Taichi_ had given that to him when he appointed him as the new leader, _damn it_!

A sigh left his lips as he placed the goggles back inside the drawer. It was then that he finally noticed his own condition. Flipping the blanket off he looked down and found a large white cloth had been wrapped around his torso like a bandage, and his left wrist was in a black, movement-restricting cast. He didn’t have his Digital World clothes on for some reason, and was instead wearing a pair of khaki cargo pants and black socks. There simply was no shirt.

Wait… If he was wearing different clothes, then who had changed him? It hadn’t been _Ken_ had it?!

"Eww..." Daisuke glared down at his feet and crossed his arms, cringing when he nudged his injured wrist against his side. Deciding that sitting in bed wasn't going to be fun or accomplish anything worthwhile, he stood up and headed over to the mirror.

His face seemed to be fine, though he had a small bandage on his cheek that he hadn't felt before. Turning around he then looked at his back, and his eyes widened. There appeared to be a very thick wad of cotton tucked under the white cloth, roughly the size of a hand towel. Apparently it was his back that had been injured and not his chest, as opposed to what he'd originally thought.

"What happened...?" Daisuke trailed off, nervous about what his skin might look like underneath that bandage now. What if the damage was irreversible? What if his back was horribly disfigured for the rest of his life, and girls found him gross, and-

"A stick."

Daisuke gasped and spun around when a loud voice echoed in the room. He looked about for the culprit, and what he found was a large image of Ken sitting in a chair on the television screen. He appeared to be in a very large room full of machines and other electronic screens, possibly some kind of control room. He was also, of course, wearing his tyrannical Kaiser outfit and that _nasty_ smirk.

"What do you mean 'a stick'?" Daisuke verbally spat, glaring up at the television and making his voice sound as rude as he possibly could.

Ken didn't acknowledge Daisuke's anger and simply answered, "When you hit the ground a small stick punctured up into your back and nearly damaged your spine. I removed it and applied numbing cream, which is why you have that large bandage on your back. I highly recommend you leave it there if you don't want to bleed all over yourself. I'll have various digimon go in there and change it every once in awhile.”

Ken sighed as though having to explain all of this was a huge chore for him. “You also sprained your wrist, which is why you have that cast on. It should heal on its own, though I can't give you an estimate on how long. Aside from that, only some minor abrasions. You can remove the bandage on your cheek now if you wish."

"Yeah, talk all nice and fancy if you want, _Ken_ ," Daisuke kept his tone just as snide as before, making sure to emphasize the Kaiser's real name for optimum insult. "But don't think I've forgotten that it was _your fault_ that I even have all these injuries in the _first place_!"

Ken chuckled lightly, "Who says I'm acting nice? You asked me a question and I answered, simple as that. If you think I seemed nice while doing so, well... that's your own business."

"Yeah, _whatever_ ," Daisuke continued glaring as he spoke. "So what do you want with me then?"

"Humor me," Ken said and tapped his chin a bit, seeming pleased with the possibility of messing with someone's head like the sick, twisted fuck that he was. "Why do you think you're here?"

"The usual reason," Daisuke replied and rolled his eyes. Guys like Ken were so predictable... "I'm a hostage and you're gonna threaten my life to get the others to do your messed up bidding."

"No," came the Kaiser's simple answer as a small grin formed on his face.

"W-What?" Daisuke's arms unfolded in surprise. Immediately he wished he hadn't reacted though, because of the way Ken started smirking more.

"I said _no_ ," Ken's voice was thick with sarcasm.

"I heard you!" Daisuke glared at his captor. "Fine then, you're gonna torture me with weird chemicals and knives or something."

"As fun as that sounds, no." Ken chuckled and took off his gloves, picking at his nails in mock boredom. Daisuke narrowed his eyes at the obvious insult and sat down on the edge of the bed, a long sigh escaping his lips. What else did evil guys do with their prisoners? He said ransom was out, which made him pretty happy actually. Torture was also out, which made him even happier. So... all that was left was...

" _No_!" Daisuke suddenly yelled and pointed accusingly at the screen, making sure to avoid using his left hand much. "Don't even think about it you _sicko_!" When Ken simply raised an eyebrow in question and appeared to not understand what he was going on about, Daisuke continued, "You keep your sick, sexual fantasies away from me!"

Ken was silent for a few moments as an awkward silence thickened the air between them even through the electronic screen. His eyebrows raised a little, and then he groaned loudly. By the time Daisuke had crossed his arms in annoyance, Ken had removed his glasses and slumped his forehead down into his hand. "Don't be such a _moron_ ," the Kaiser sighed in frustration. "What kind of movies do you _watch_ at home?"

Daisuke sat back down on the bed, not sure if he should feel insulted or happy about what Ken had just said. "Yeah, well... then I have no idea why I'm here, so why don't you just tell me already?"

"Let's see…" Ken spoke slowly, putting his glove and glasses back on now that the subject had been changed. "You're here for... experimentation."

Daisuke must have visibly shown the discomfort brewing in his chest because Ken suddenly smirked again, so he settled with just glaring back.

Ken tiled his head to the side a bit. "Though I can't help wondering why you haven’t even thought to ask me about the fate of your little friends yet. I guess they don’t matter that much to you after all."

"You-!" Daisuke gasped and jumped to his feet. He was probably reacting exactly the way Ken wanted him to, but whatever. Right now getting upset was about all he was able to do. "What did you do to them?!"

"Oh don't worry," Ken began, his voice just as sarcastic as he ever was. "V-Mon's in a dungeon cell with a dark ring to keep him quiet."

"Bastard!" Daisuke growled. "Take that damned thing off of him!"

The Kaiser looked at him for a moment before responding, "Umm, _no,_ I actually don't think I will." His hand tapped idly on the arm of his chair for a moment before he continued. "And as for the blond, my Airdramon only had the strength to carry one prisoner. Those Flymon are quite pitiful when it comes to carrying things, you see, and I honestly hadn't expected to smear you _both_ into the ground so easily... Not the best foresight I suppose. I should have expected such weakness. In any case I left him lying right where he belonged - in the dirt."

Daisuke glared furiously and felt the heat rise in his face. His arms shook with hatred. Oh how he wanted to punch the screen so badly... Just one good _smack_ in that asshole's face, and-!

"Anyway, I really do need to be going now." Ken stood from his chair and walked closer to the projector, making it seem as though he was right in front of the television screen now. "I have lots of things to do and places to destroy. Just so you know though, there are two Gorimon guards outside your door at all times, so I wouldn't suggest trying to escape. I promise they'll make you wish you hadn't.”

Ken seemed to start typing on a keyboard in front of him. "There's a remote for your television in the drawer beside your bed, and the large, blue button on it will page me. The desk has paper and pencils in the drawer, and the closet has clothing that should fit you. Also the square hole in the wall is a replicator that will make food for you. The bookshelf will create books that you wish to read on the center shelf.”

Suddenly Ken looked up from his keyboard and smirked. “I imagine someone as _intelligent_ as yourself can figure out how to use it all. So do what you want, and stay out of trouble." With that, the television screen went black. Daisuke glared at it for a few more moments and then growled loudly. His pent up anger bubbled over and spilled out as he kicked over the trashcan in the room.

Daisuke sat down on the bed and put his face in his uninjured hand. Takeru... He'd been left out there on the ground? The others would find him, they would! He knew they would!

Daisuke sighed and stood up, walking over to the bedside table where Ken had mentioned a remote. Sure enough, after checking it again, he found it further back in the drawer behind his goggles. Why was Ken giving him all these nice things though? Why hadn't he simply thrown him in a dungeon cell like all the other slaves and called it good? He was up to something for sure.

He walked over to the mirror and looked at himself once again. Well, things seemed pretty bad now. There really wasn't any way to get out of the base on his own, and even if there was he wasn't about to leave V-Mon behind. Ken was really smart and probably expected him to try and escape, so was his only option to wait until the others could save him?

Screw that, he _hated_ waiting! Nope, that wasn't good enough. He had to do something on his own. Even if it wasn't much, there had to be some kind of action he could take!

Daisuke glanced around the room a little bit more and stopped when his eyes reached the desk. He walked over to it and opened the drawers, finding the paper and pencils that Ken had described. There was something else in there too. It kind of looked like... candles? And a box of _matches_?

His eyes traveled upward a few seconds later and stopped at the sprinkler on the ceiling. A sudden thought came to his mind and he had to hold back laughter.

' _Alright, Ken... you want to play this way?'_ Daisuke smirked mischievously as he curled his fingers around the box of matches. _'If you're gonna keep me here against my will, then until I find a way out I swear for V-Mon, Takeru and myself that I'll make you regret every moment of it._ '


	2. Experiments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: TeamAbodo and Vertorm
> 
> Author's Note: OMG I need to give an incredibly huge thank you to Kitsune23 on Tumblr! She made such a beautiful cosplay of [what the Bio Ring would look like](https://trippnessa.tumblr.com/post/160200430040/kitsune23-bio-ring-prototype-5877324-test), and it's absolutely fantastic! When I first saw it I was left speechless, and then I was a squealing mess for a while afterward lol! It touches my heart that you guys have loved this story so much, and for someone to actually make the Bio Ring... I'm just so happy ^_^

The headache pounding against his skull was the first thing Takeru awoke to. Shortly after that came the soft, yet piercing sound of birds singing, which shot through his throbbing head like lightning. He winced, though his discomfort didn't last long. To his great pleasure he realized that he was lying on a very soft bed with a cozy blanket draped over him. This realization made him feel significantly better, even with the birds still making that horrid noise.

Noise... yes, he could hear other things around him now that he was more aware. Sounds like footsteps and voices that he recognized surrounded him. Someone appeared to be getting closer, a hand even placing itself upon his shoulder.

"Takeru?"

That voice was so familiar...

"Takeru, can you hear me? Say something!"

"Mmm?" Takeru moaned as he tried to focus on who was speaking. He didn't move as foreign hands were placed upon his own, the owner calling for someone else to come over. He finally opened his eyes, immediately wincing at the light and shutting them again. He kept trying though, and eventually he had them fully opened. Jyou, Yamato and his parents were in a hospital room with him, all standing next to his bed.

"Oh thank god!" Mrs. Takaishi's eyes were filled with tears as she hugged him, having been the one holding his hands. "Takeru, are you okay?! What happened to you?! The doctors said you must have fallen!"

“Hang on, don’t overwhelm him,” his father’s voice came from somewhere else in the room. “Let him wake up a bit first.”

Takeru tried to think about the question his mother had asked, though his mind was still foggy and disoriented. What _had_ happened? How had he gotten here? He recalled the Digital World vaguely, and Ken. Right, Ken… He’d attacked them, and... Daisuke...

Takeru's face fell at the memory of his friend's capture. His memories came back quickly after that. Should he tell them the truth about what happened? Obviously Jyou and Yamato needed to know, and his parents already knew about the Digital World so they could handle the truth. He didn't want to chance someone overhearing his conversation from elsewhere in the hospital though...

"How are you feeling?" Yamato came into view as he walked up beside his mother. "You don't have to talk about all that yet if you aren't ready, just relax. You've been through a lot."

"No, I'm alright," Takeru said as he shook his head and rubbed his eyes to try and wake up more.

"It's okay, you can sleep more if you need it," his mother said softly, seeming to have calmed down now that he was awake. "I shouldn't have immediately pestered you to-"

"No, really," Takeru said and stopped her before she could say too much else. "I'm fine, mom, it's just... Is it okay to talk about that in here?"

"Yes, it’s fine." Jyou quickly closed the door to their hospital room. "I pulled a lot of strings to get appointed as your doctor’s assistant. I knew if you had anyone else appointed then you'd be unable to tell us what really happened until you were released. Your parents already know this relates to the Digital World, so don’t worry.” Jyou walked over to his bedside after that. “I was honest with them when they asked what happened because I really needed their help.”

"I see..." Takeru sighed, and upon adjusting his body he realized that his left ankle was in a cast and his head had a large bandage wrapped around it. "Am I alright?"

"You'll be fine," Jyou said with a smile. "You've been here for three days now, but everything is healing nicely. Your ankle was the worst injury, but you should be able to walk on it now with the cast there."

Takeru blinked a few times, not really sure how he felt about hearing he'd been unconscious for three days. He supposed it could have been a lot worse.

"As for your head," Jyou continued, "you had a pretty bad concussion but it’s much better now, and your cuts and bruises are mostly gone. All of this was caused from a fall...?" he trailed off at the end of his sentence, obviously hoping for an explanation.

Takeru nodded, more comfortable with talking about it now. "Yeah, basically. We were in the Digital World investigating two signals that we found, and we ended up splitting up. Daisuke and I went together to check out one of the locations, but we got attacked by the Kaiser." Takeru turned to his parents, knowing they wouldn’t know who that was. "He’s the the guy trying to destroy the Digital World - Ichijouji Ken."

"What?!" his mother gasped. "You mean that sweet boy from the television? Seriously?"

"Yes," Yamato nodded, his expression serious. "He's been capturing and torturing digimon, and making them into his slaves. He even caught Taichi's Agumon for a while, but we managed to save him."

"That's terrible..." their father said solemnly and shook his head. "So that's why he went missing. He seemed like such a good kid, too..."

"At any rate," Takeru said, getting back on topic. He didn't want to talk about Ken any more than he already had to. "We got attacked by a swarm of Flymon. That's how I got injured. They filled the air with some kind of powder and I couldn't breathe or move." He felt his fists clench with frustration as he continued. "One of the Flymon put me to sleep with it, so I don't really know what happened after that."

"What about Daisuke?" Yamato asked slowly and cautiously, seeming to have already guessed the answer. "Was he...?"

"Ken captured him." Takeru's fists tightened even more. "It was the last thing I saw before I passed out… Ken flying off with him."

"Damn it..." Yamato seethed and glared down at the floor. Their parents looked at each other, seeming to say something unspoken to one another with their eyes.

"Takeru..." Mrs. Takaishi trailed off nervously a few seconds later. "Daisuke's parents reported that he never came home from school on Friday. He's been on the news for the last two days as a missing person, and now there are rumors going around that you were involved in his disappearance. People are probably going to ask you questions."

Takeru blinked, not sure what to say in response to that.

His mother seemed to sense his confusion so she continued, "The official story is that you were found injured and unconscious in a park around the same time that he went missing. You're his good friend, and apparently someone from your school saw you go into the computer room together. So now everyone thinks you were both attacked on your way home or something."

"Just insist that you don't remember anything that happened between Friday and now," his father said quickly. "Don't give them any information, not even something that you think is fine to say. You should tell the other Chosen what really happened, but the public needs to think you don't know anything. Be very careful not to link this to Ichijouji’s disappearance. They’ll only become more suspicious if you do."

"Right..." Takeru trailed off. His father wasn't a reporter anymore, but he had been in the past and his mother still was, so he trusted their advice. They knew very well how the media would react.

Takeru couldn’t help feeling on edge still. He knew that this wasn't all his fault, but the guilt just wouldn't seem to shake off. He should have persisted more about not splitting up... Daisuke's parents must be so worried now.

 _'We'll get you out of there,'_ Takeru thought firmly to himself.

"Hey," Yamato's voice brought Takeru out of his thoughts. "Hikari's been _really_ worried. They wouldn't let her in because they only wanted family around when you first came around. Now that you’re awake though you should let them call her in before she has another panic attack."

"Alright," Takeru said and nodded, trying not to let the fact that she’d been having panic attacks increase his guilt even more.

********************

The sound of keys clicking on a keyboard echoed around the metal walls of the otherwise quiet base. The silence was eerie and was only made worse by how dim the lights were. This was of course how Ken preferred it, but for Wormmon it sent chills down his spine.

Wormmon sighed as Ken chuckled lightly to himself, working diligently on his project. From what he understood it was a special dark ring that would work on humans instead of digimon. He'd heard Ken talk about it a few times and it always made his heart sink. What could he do about it though? Ken refused to listen to anything he said, and now that he'd captured Daisuke as a guinea pig for the experiment he'd only been working on it even more.

He knew that Ken had been creating some kind of evil digimon hybrid before he'd started the new ring, but that had been put on hiatus. Wormmon wasn't even supposed to know about either of these projects, but his observation skills had always been underestimated. Almost everything about him was, and it made him sad that Ken never talked to him about anything anymore.

The typing sped up and the Kaiser's smirk widened. Clearly he'd come up with something nefarious for his ring. Was he going to finish it soon? Wormmon half hoped that were the case so that Ken could go back to working more casually on the other project. At least that one had never made him _this_ absorbed... But even with all of that, Wormmon did _not_ want Ken to successfully enslave Daisuke.

Maybe he could try to pull some of Ken's attention off that computer screen? If he stared at anymore electronics, Wormmon feared that Ken would end up _needing_ glasses… He should ask if he'd eaten yet.

"Ken-cha-I mean... Master?" Wormmon caught himself just in time. When Ken didn't reply though, Wormmon tried again. "Master? Can I ask you something?"

Ken froze for a moment and then turned around sharply in his chair to face him, the light from the various computers reflecting off his glasses and making his eyes unreadable. However, the frown on his lips and the furrowing of his eyebrows said more than enough.

"Um..." Wormmon trailed off as he sensed Ken's impatience. He tried to think of what he was going to ask now that he'd been given the attention he wanted. The frustration in his partner’s face was becoming more and more evident as Wormmon failed to ask something. He couldn't remember the question anymore... "U-Um... Why did you give Daisuke such a nice room?"

He didn't think that was the same question that he'd planned, and it seemed to only make Ken more irritated. That wasn't a good sign... He really didn't want to get kicked again.

"Are you brain dead?" Ken asked with complete seriousness in his voice. "Is it _really_ not obvious to you why I would do that?"

"Um... well... I suppose not..." Wormmon looked down at the floor, hoping that he hadn't just sealed his fate toward a firm kick in the stomach and a slide across the room.

Ken groaned and ran his fingers under his glasses, one hand setting them down on the counter while the other rubbed his eyes. Wormmon was happy; even if he was punished, at least he'd succeeded in getting Ken to do something other than squint at the computer screen in a dark room for hours without a break.

"Well maybe if you ever _used your brain_ you'd be able to figure it out," Ken rolled his eyes as he spoke. Nonetheless, he continued. "Do you honestly expect Motomiya to be obedient while he's here? Or that he'll do anything I ask him to do?"

"Well... no, I guess not-"

" _Of course_ not!" Ken cut him off angrily. "There's no 'I guess' about it! He's going to fight back, refuse to listen, use all sorts of foul language, frustrate anyone who talks to him, and he’ll try to destroy anything involved in his imprisonment."

"Oh... I-"

"Cage a lion and it will fight against its restraints," Ken once again cut Wormmon off before he could continue speaking. "Put a lion in a zoo with everything it needs and wants, and it will grow complacent while still being _confined_. It can be observed from a safe distance, and without constant complications in that case."

"I didn't look at it that way," Wormmon admitted.

Ken's voice was very matter of fact, "Of course you didn't, you're a _fool_. And in any case," he said as he turned back toward his computer. "I can use that room against him. If he wants to stay there and not get thrown into a dirty dungeon cell, then he'll shut up and do what I say. That nice room is just as much a collateral hostage as V-Mon is"

Ken's words were cut off as an alarm echoed throughout the control room. Before Wormmon even had the chance to ask what was going on, water began spraying down on them from the sprinklers above. Ken immediately pressed the off switch on his programs and every screen went black.

"Why are the fire sprinklers going off?!" Ken exclaimed and stood up angrily, obviously expecting Wormmon to know the answer.

"I’m not sure but I'll go see if I can find out," Wormmon said and quickly scurried off into the hallway.

 _'This is my chance!'_ Wormmon thought frantically as a welcomed chaos ensued around the base. He ran past other digimon as they rushed down the hallways to try and find the location of the fire. Ken's angry yells boomed from the loudspeakers and reverberated off the walls as he shouted orders at his slaves.

Wormmon had been planning on doing this ever since he'd gotten word that one of the Chosen had been captured. He knew it was risky, but he had to do something to set the child free. He didn't normally sabotage Ken's work like this, but the Chosen were the only ones that could save Ken. He couldn't let one of them get turned into a slave or it might not be possible to save Ken! He wished that he could save his own partner by himself, but he had so little power... nothing compared to the Chosen. They were strong. They could evolve and fight, and would be able to do the things that he couldn't.

Wormmon turned a corner and reached the dungeons in good time. Under normal circumstances there would have been guards outside, but they were clearly preoccupied at the moment. He quickly made his way inside, and once Wormmon found the cell he was looking for he unlocked the door and stepped inside V-Mon’s slave.

"Hold still, I'm making sure there's no water damage to your ring," Wormmon lied. He quickly and silently fiddled with the device until it shut off, though he did not remove it.

"W... Wormmon?" V-Mon asked slowly, still disoriented.

"Shh, don't talk too loud!" Wormmon hissed urgently at him. "I deactivated the ring but don't take it off. You should be able to leave the dungeons without being suspected now."

"Oh..." V-Mon trailed off, clearly still confused. "But why? Aren't you Ken's slave too?"

"Not exactly," Wormmon sighed, not wanting to talk about that whole ordeal. "Listen, I need you to get Daisuke out of here. Do whatever you can to make sure that you both escape, alright? I know even in this situation the guards outside Daisuke's room aren't going to budge, so this is as much as I can do."

"Um... alright," V-Mon nodded, appearing to have snapped out of his daze now. "But I still don't understand why you'd help Ken and then suddenly help _me_! You don't really seem evil, so this doesn't make any sense..."

"I can't explain here," Wormmon whispered. He had to get out right away before he was spotted. "After this you're on your own. I'm sorry, but there's not enough time for me to tell you more. Just hurry, get yourself and Daisuke out of here as fast as you can!"

"H-Hey, wait!" V-Mon called out as Wormmon turned around and scurried from the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

********************

"I'll ask you one more time, and I'll even be _nice_ about it," Ken said through gritted teeth, anger dripping from his voice. It was requiring an overwhelming amount of patience to not scream out every single word he spoke. " _Where_ is the fire?"

"W-We haven't detected any f-fires, sir..." a very scared Kiwimon trailed off, already wincing in anticipation of what the Kaiser was going to do.

Ken's short-lived patience immediately snapped and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Then why are the sprinklers _still going off_?! Do you have _any idea_ just how much damage all of this water is causing?! Every time I shut them off they just turn back on a few seconds later! I've had to spend all my time locking out the sprinkler system to the control room so at least my computers won't get damaged, and you're trying to tell me that there _aren't any fires_?!"

"Th-They should be shut off very quickly, s-sir..." Kiwimon said meekly, looking down at her feet. "W-We've sent a digimon into the emergency power room to tu-turn the sprinklers off and lock them. But as for the cause, w-we did manage to pinpoint the sprinkler that was set off f-first..."

" _Where_?!" Ken took a step forward this time, causing her to take a few steps back in fear.

"M-Motomiya's room!"

Ken's body froze, his voice growing completely silent. Kiwimon didn't seem to know what to do or say, so she just stood still and waited nervously. A few more seconds of silence passed, and then...

"What...?" Ken asked in a low, angry voice as he clenched his fists. Motomiya... Of _course_ it was him. That wretched prisoner had only been in the base for a couple of days and already he was pulling pranks! "What could he have possibly set off the sprinklers with?"

"Well you t-told me to outfit his room the same way yours had been…” the Kiwimon said and swallowed. “A-And you asked for… for matches and candles to be put in the desk in case of a power outage, or-"

"You _moron_!" Ken hollered loudly and cut her off. "That room was converted for a slave! _A slave_! Why would you put _matches_ in a _slave's room_?!"

"I-I was just following your-!"

Kiwimon was cut off as Ken spun around on his heels, stormed out of the control room and slammed the door shut behind him, his boots clanking loudly along the way. It wouldn't normally have taken him very long to reach Motomiya's room since it was on the same floor as his control room, but with all the digimon running around chaotically in the hallways he wasn't able to get there as fast as he would have liked. He'd have to punish them later.

After much sidetracking, shoving, stepping on digimon and yelling at them to move out of his way, he finally reached his destination.

" _Motomiya_!" Ken growled as he threw the door open with a loud bang. The boy jumped at the sudden sound and spun around to face the door.

"Hey, Ken!" Motomiya said with a terribly cheerful tone as he sat back down on his soaking wet bed. His sprained left wrist was carefully laid across his lap.

"Explain yourself _right now_ ," Ken demanded and crossed his arms. He waited for a response and ignored the fact that Daisuke had once again addressed him by his real name. He was upset about far too many things now to bother with it.

"Explain what?" Motomiya raised an eyebrow in confusion, though Ken didn't believe it for a second.

"As if you don't know." Ken slammed the door shut behind him. He wasn't going to play these dumb games, especially not with a dumb prisoner. "The whole top floor is now drenched in water, and according to my stupid messenger, not only was your sprinkler the first to go off but you apparently have _matches_ in here as well!"

"Well if your messenger is stupid then why do you even believe them?" Motomiya questioned innocently, tilting his head to the side in what looked like genuine confusion. Ken blinked and paused, completely thrown off by the remark. That... That was... After shaking his head, Ken managed to regain his composure.

"Because you are by _no_ means any more intelligent than she is, so don't make excuses!" Ken exclaimed. He was so done with all this nonsense. "I know you did it, so just tell me what-!" he stopped suddenly, his eyes having crossed over to the desk. He marched over and tore open all the drawers until he found the suspected candles and match box. Ken growled angrily and shoved all of it into his pockets. "Did you think I wasn't going to find out?"

"Eh, it was worth a shot." Motomiya picked at his nails in the same mock-boredom that Ken himself had used just a few days before.

"Gorimon!" the Kaiser exclaimed and the two large guards walking into the room immediately. Motomiya looked up at Ken with a nervous expression. "Bring him with me to the control room."

"What?! Why?!" Motomiya exclaimed as the guards walked over and grabbed his arms, pulling him out of the room and following after their master.

********************

V-Mon looked around the dungeon to make sure that no one was watching him, and he was happy to discover that everyone was much too busy with their own problems to pay any attention to a small blue dragon like himself. As silently as he could, he hurried over to where the guard normally stood and snatched his key ring off the wall. He quietly unlocked the nearest dungeon cell after that and slipped inside. The digimon that occupied it, which V-Mon now recognized as a Ryudamon, immediately gave him a suspicious look.

"I'm just making sure your ring isn't water damaged," V-Mon said, quickly copying Wormmon's fake excuse from before. It seemed to work and the Ryudamon relaxed. It took a lot more fiddling around for him to figure it out, enough that it was making him nervous. After a while he managed to find the spot that he recalled Wormmon pressing on his own ring though, and Ryudamon's powered off.

"W-What...?" Ryudamon blinked, looking around the dungeon in confusion. "This is... the Kaiser's base?" His eyes suddenly turned to V-Mon and set into a glare.

"Calm down, I'm not a slave!" V-Mon assured him quickly, throwing his arms up in surrender.

"Then who are you?" Ryudamon raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "You have a dark ring on your neck!"

"It's deactivated like yours. I was wondering though..." V-Mon trailed off, unable to hide the mischievous smirk forming on his face. "Before we escape, what would you say to a little... revenge?"

********************

Daisuke, Ken and the Gorimon guards marched down the calmer hallways, the sprinklers having finally been shut off. Daisuke was disappointed to discover that it didn't take very long to reach the control room. He'd wiggled around in a vain attempt to escape along the way, but it had failed. Not that he wasn't going to keep trying! Giving in like a coward wasn't how he operated.

As the four of them entered the control room Daisuke was thrown down forcefully, knocking his sprained wrist against the metal floor.

"Shit..." he swore as pain shot up his arm. "What the hell, Ken?! It was just a little water-"

"You have two options," Ken interrupted him angrily. "You can either help me with my experiments or you can refuse, in which case I'll order V-Mon to attack you. It would be quite entertaining actually. _Or_ I could just destroy him instead, if you drag this out enough. So I'd suggest making the _correct_ decision."

Daisuke glared furiously at the Kaiser as he rose up to his feet again. He refused to look up at Ken from the floor like a _slave_. He did not subdue the anger in his eyes while he silently weighed his options.

On one hand, Ken was a sadistic bastard and Daisuke had no doubt in his mind that he really would order his own digimon to attack him, nor did he doubt that he'd hurt V-Mon somehow in the process. On the other hand though, he _really_ didn't like the idea of helping him with whatever sick experiments he’d planned... The problem was that if he said no, then either he or V-Mon would end up hurt and he'd probably just be _forced_ to help in the end anyway.

Daisuke crossed his arms and waited, refusing to verbally agree and being careful not to bump his already aching wrist in the process.

"I'll take that indignant look to mean that you agree to shut up and obey." Ken turned and nodded to the guards as Daisuke clenched his fists, straining to stop himself from lashing out. The Gorimon walked over to him and pushed him down into a chair, strapping his wrists and ankles to the arms and legs of the seat. Daisuke really didn't like this... It felt like some kind of electric torture device.

Ken snapped his fingers at the guards and they left the room, giving them the privacy that their master clearly wanted.

"The experiment is very simple," Ken said as he pulled a dark ring out of a drawer under one of his keyboards. It was thicker than the slave’s normal rings were, and it had softly glowing blue runes all around the outside of it. "I'm working on rings that will work on humans, and you're going to be my guinea pig."

Daisuke's eyes went wide for only a second before he forced them back into a glare, not wanting Ken to see his nervousness. So that was his plan, was it? The electric chair was starting to sound more pleasant. At least it didn't mean he'd be the Kaiser's willing little _pet_!

Ken walked over to him with a smirk on his face, pressing a button on the inside of the ring that was clutched tightly in his hand. Before Daisuke could struggle around in the chair anymore than he already had, Ken had snapped the ring around his neck. Daisuke clenched his eyes shut in anticipation. After a few seconds of silence though, he slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times and looked up.

Was that it?

"You know, Ken, I think it did the opposite of what you wanted," Daisuke said in fake amazement when he realized that nothing had happened. "I think I just want to kick your ass even more than I did before!"

"Oh your sarcasm is _sure_ appreciated," Ken said in a dull voice as he unclasped the ring from his neck. Then he walked over to a computer and set it down on the counter. He began fiddling with codes or something - Daisuke wasn’t able to tell for sure from the angle he was at. Not that he would have been able to understand what any of it said even if he could see it fully anyway.

He had to admit that he was nervous... What if that ring actually worked? If Ken could make it work on a digimon, then he surely had a chance of making it work on a human too, right? Was Ken really that smart? And evil? He needed to get out of the base fast before-

It was then that Daisuke noticed movement in the corner of his eye. He looked toward it and saw a small, blue creature walking silently through the shadows on the other side of the room. He squinted hard, and after a few seconds he recognized the creature as none other than V-Mon.

Daisuke felt his body freeze up with nervous anticipation, but he quickly forced himself to relax. He had no idea what V-Mon was up to, but he didn't want to ruin it by displaying too much suspicious body language. He quickly looked back at Ken, who was still messing around with the ring. Seriously, how had V-Mon gotten in there? He seemed to have a dark ring on his neck as Ken had said, but he sure wasn't acting like a slave...

Daisuke felt uneasy when V-Mon slowly tiptoed out from the shadows and walked over to Ken's throne chair. What was he doing?! He was going to get caught for sure!

Daisuke cleared his throat and got V-Mon's attention, Ken not acknowledging him in the slightest as Daisuke had expected. He gave his partner a ' _what the heck are you doing?!_ ' look, but V-Mon ignored him. Instead he crawled under the chair and stood up, quickly carrying the piece of furniture away and out through the smaller back doors on the other side of the room. Daisuke stared in shock, wondering what had just happened.

"Okay, let's see..." Ken trailed off in thought as he picked the ring back up, Daisuke trying his best to look natural again. He settled on looking bored, as seeming angry was too difficult for him while he was trying desperately not to laugh. Ken backed up a little after that and started to sit, clearly expecting his chair to be there. As the Kaiser fell straight on his ass, the ring rolling across the room, Daisuke finally let the laughter burst from his throat.

Ken gasped and jumped to his feet, looking wildly around the room. "H-How did you do that?!" Ken furiously picked up the ring and stormed over to Daisuke, who was even more pleased to see that Ken was blushing with embarrassment.

"Um..." Daisuke trailed off, still laughing and trying futilely to stop. "I'm amazing?"

"Yeah, we'll see how _amazing_ you are when you're hanging fifty feet in the air by your _neck_!" Ken seethed and shoved the ring around Daisuke's throat, who cringed as the metal scraped him in the process. Daisuke's body went limp and his head hung down. He stayed like that for a few moments and then slowly lifted up his head to look at Ken.

"Yes, Master?" Daisuke said without emotion. Ken froze for a second or two, inspecting the sight before him. But then… "Nah, I was just messing with you!" Daisuke cracked up suddenly, unable to keep faking it anymore. Oh well, he never claimed to be an actor anyway.

Ken wrenched the ring off his neck painfully and stormed over to the computer with a growl, but Daisuke kept on laughing regardless. Ken threw the ring onto the countertop and then snapped his finger loudly. The two Gorimon came back into the room and waited for his orders.

"Take that little shit back to his room," Ken seethed and glared at Daisuke, who continued to laugh as the guards unstrapped him and dragged him over to the main door of the control room. "Oh, and one more thing! _Find my damned chair_!"

********************

Ken sighed and turned off the monitor in front of him, leaning back into his newly found throne. How it had ended up in the kitchen, he had no idea. The first thing he'd done was check the control room's security cameras, but they had been so damaged from the sprinklers that he couldn't make anything out of them. He'd assumed it was Motomiya at first, but now he wasn't so sure. There was just no way he could have moved the chair that far while strapped down. That meant he'd surely had help from someone, but who?

Maybe Wormmon had done it, assuming he was even big enough to move the chair in the first place. He'd thought it was V-Mon after that, but he was still in his cell with a dark ring on. It just didn't make any sense... Who, other than Wormmon, Motomiya or V-Mon would do something so... so _stupid_? He knew it had been in there when he and Motomiya had entered!

Ken groaned in frustration. Maybe he'd been wrong about it having been there... It was very possible that a slave had moved it while he'd gone to get Motomiya to try and keep it dry or something. So... So perhaps he just hadn't noticed its disappearance until he tried to sit down?

Ken groaned again and gave up. It wasn't worth getting this stressed out over a _chair_! The real issue was the dark ring and its failure to work properly!

"Why didn’t it turn on?" Ken wondered out loud, glancing over at the ring still lying on the counter. He could have sworn everything was programmed correctly, but it seemed he was wrong about that too. Whatever, he'd deal with it tomorrow. He was tired and really needed to get some sleep before he had a stress related aneurism.

Ken stood up and walked out of the control room, shutting the lights off behind him. He made his way toward his bedroom which he had purposely placed near the control room. He had a bathroom connected to his bedroom and a kitchen built not too far down the same hallway, that way he'd have everything he needed all on the same floor. There was another bathroom on the top floor not connected to his bedroom, but that was for the guards to use. Well... the humanoid guards, anyway.

Once he was in his room he shut and locked the door behind him. He was incredibly exhausted and ready to go to sleep, so he removed his Kaiser uniform. It was a lengthy process, but soon enough he'd changed into simple blue pajamas. Then he walked over to his bed and crawled into it, pulling the blanket up over his body. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling. A few minutes later he realized that he was still thinking about the failed ring.

Ken shook his head and turned over onto his side to go to sleep, forcing himself to stop all of this pondering. He wasn't going to accomplish anything like this.

As the minutes passed, Ken slowly drifted off toward unconsciousness. The base was quiet now that it was night time, most of the digimon having already gone to sleep. Wormmon usually stayed up later than everyone else for whatever ridiculous reasons he had.

Ken's thoughts became foggy as sleep crept into his mind...

Suddenly a loud and very familiar ringing sound started shrieking throughout the base. Ken's eyes shot open, his heart racing in his chest and his head hurting a bit from the noise. Cold wetness seeped through the bedding and onto his body, soaking his pajamas thoroughly as water sprayed about the room from the sprinklers above.

Ken sat up slowly, his hair now flattened and clinging to his dripping face. Messages poured in through the speakers in his room as his slaves tried to frantically tell him that the sprinklers were going off again, as though he needed to be informed.

Ken knew one thing for absolute certain now - that boy was going to be more trouble than he'd expected.


	3. Hit Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: TeamAbodo and Vertorm

The image of three teenagers crashing loudly to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs played over a video screen, birds scattering from the treetops in surprise. Ken watched his monitor closely, the girl Inoue groaning as she, Yagami and Hida all stood back up. They quickly moved away from the small television screen lying motionless beside them, and a few seconds later Takaishi came through the gate. Ken felt a pang of satisfaction when he noticed the crutches under his arms as the others helped him keep his balance.

"Alright then..." Inoue trailed off as she glanced down at her D-3. "I think we're in the right area. This is where Koushiro told us to go anyway." The others nodded and pulled out their D-3s as well.

"Hey guys!" a digimon - Armadimon? - called as he and the rest of their digimon rats ran toward them, all waving with a disgusting amount of happiness. Armadimon continued speaking once he reached the humans. "Just in time, we think we might have found Ken's base on our way here!"

Ken snorted loudly, quickly standing up from his throne chair. He pressed many buttons on his keyboards as he began his plan, occasionally glancing up at the video feed as he worked. Found his base, did they? Delusional fools.

"Then you'd better hurry," Takaishi said and turned to point his digivice at Patamon, whose body began to glow and enlarge. A few seconds later Pegasmon stood before them and Takaishi turned toward Yagami. "Let me know if anything happens, okay?"

"Of course," the Yagami girl smiled affectionately and placed a hand on his shoulder, the sight of which made Ken want to gag. "Go rest now."

"Right," Takaishi smiled and faced the television screen, transporting back to wherever it was they continued to invade the Kaiser's Digital World from. Ken supposed he should give the blond _some_ credit; Evolving his digimon before going back home wasn't a bad idea, since he was clearly too injured to fight. It was a wise enough decision as they would most certainly be engaging in battle very soon. Ken just needed to finish establishing this link first...

"Alright, let's get going!" Tailmon cheered as the group set off into the woods, their digimon leading the way toward wherever it was they foolishly thought his base was. Ken finished the last of his programming with a smirk, almost wanting to wait and see what they'd ‘found,’ but deciding that his plan was far more important than humor this time around.

Ken watched as the Chosen walked through a calm forest with thick treetops that cut off the view of the sky above them. Birds chirped loudly from within their branches as rays of sunlight shone down on them through the leaves. Ken could tell from his maps that there was a river with a waterfall nearby, which was very important to his strategy.

Ken clicked a button to load his hologram program. He waited for the ray of blue light to shine down on him from the ceiling and engulf his body. The video screen in front of him changed perspective; it no longer showed the group from above, but now from directly in front of them on the dirt path as though he were standing there personally. The video screen showed all of the Chosen freeze and stare, their expressions quickly turning to anger.

Ken smirked. "Well, if it isn't the Chosen Rats."

" _Ichijouji_ ," Hida glared at him but didn't move, his fists clenching at his sides. Ken knew they were aware that he was just using his hologram program now. He'd never intended for it to trick anyone, and he still sometimes laughed at that idiot Motomiya who actually _had_ been fooled by it once.

"What have you done with Daisuke?!" Inoue demanded with her hand on her D-3 in anticipation.

"Your foolish leader is currently playing video games in his room," Ken rolled his eyes and suppressed a sigh. Giving the boy such things hadn't really been his initial intention when he'd designed the room, but he'd made the decision at the last second. He didn't know much about Motomiya, but he seemed like the type to play games. It was sometimes irritating for Ken to see him having fun, but he had to remember the plan; a complacent prisoner was one that could be easily manipulated.

"V-Video games…?" Inoue trailed off in confusion with a raised eyebrow.

"Believe it or not," Ken began with a smirk on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not _completely_ horrible."

"Your actions have shown otherwise!" Hida verbally spat, more anger in his eyes and voice than anyone else. Oh, how that little runt hated him... It was wonderful.

"My _actions,_ " - Ken laced his eyes and voice with ice, - "are _my business_. The only reason I gave that moron such luxuries are so he'll stay out of my way. If he's enough of a fool to fall for it, then that's really not my fault.

"Say what you want," Yagami quickly stepped in before Hida was able to further provoke him. "But we're just trying to protect this world from harm. The only reason we fight is because you give us no other choice! If you'd just stop all of-"

"Oh don't even _start_." Ken rolled his eyes in exasperation and dropped his arms down at his sides. "You think your touching words and ' _inner light_ ' are going to heal my ' _broken soul_ ' or some garbage like that? Get over yourself, little girl. Things don't work that way in real life."

"Then let's cut the crap," Inoue scoffed. "What do you want?"

"I _want_ you to leave," Ken sighed at how obvious his answer should be to them by now. He narrowed his eyes onto her. "You should honestly just assume that at this point, since it's the only thing I've ever asked of you people."

“You have no right to ask us to leave!” Yagami exclaimed. “We've explained this so many times but you never listen! This isn't a place you can just-!”

"I can do _whatever I want_ ," Ken interrupted her with a vicious glare, his patience quickly draining as he got ready to press the button that would order his troops to attack. "And your endless _whining_ won't make that-"

_"Oh baby, baby."_

Ken's words and thoughts were cut off by the sudden sound of a piano over his base's speakers, followed immediately by a woman's voice.

_"Oh baby, baby."_

Ken blinked repeatedly, suddenly recognizing the voice as Britney Spears.

_"Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know, that something wasn't right here?"_

The of the Chosen froze for a moment, clearly trying to figure out where the music was coming from. Ken, however, clenched his fists furiously and his eyes narrowed with rage.

_"Oh baby, baby, I shouldn't have let you go, and now you're out of sight, yeah."_

"He didn't..." the Kaiser hissed, his nails digging into his palms even with gloves on.

_"Show me how you want it to be,"_

"Wormmon!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs and the slithering insect immediately crawled up next to him. He looked down at Wormmon, and even though his voice was suddenly quiet, his tone was harsh enough that he may as well have just shouted like he wanted to. “Why is _Britney Spears_ playing in my base...?”

_"Tell me baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh because,"_

Wormmon may have replied, but Inoue's horrid burst of shrill laughter rang out from the speakers and drowned out whatever the worm had said. Ken's glare moved back over to her, his eyes nearly sparking with an explosive hatred. It was only made worse when Yagami, Armadimon, and even Hida began laughing as well.

_"My loneliness is killing me and I, I must confess, I still believe, still believe!"_

"I-I'm sorry, Master!" Wormmon pleaded nervously, seeming to be trying very hard to be louder than the Chosen's roars of mirth. "I don't know where it's coming from!"

_"When I'm not with you I lose my mind, give me a sign."_

"Motomiya," Ken hissed, voice dripping like molten lead. He knew it was him… He had no proof, but he just _knew it_.

_"Hit me baby one more time!"_

Ken slammed a button with his fist and the hologram shut off. Before Wormmon could try to console him with any of his disgusting words, the Kaiser marched over to the control room's main entrance. There was a loud bang as the doors slammed into the walls behind them and echoed loudly throughout the halls, Wormmon silently trailing after him.

"I'm going to kill him," Ken stated matter-of-factly as he made his way toward his prisoner's room. The various digimon he encountered scurried out of the way at the sight of his anger.

Ken turned a corner and shoved a large digimon away, though he hadn't been paying enough attention to know what it even was. He didn't much care either as he shoved another one aside, this one falling straight to the floor and dropping all of its cleaning supplies. Ken's feet echoed all around him as he continued down his path of destruction, his cape flowing fiercely behind him. He had his whip clutched tightly in his right hand in preparation for the punishment he was about to unleash.

He finally reached the hallway leading to Motomiya's room. His guards were laughing to one another in front of the door, mostly likely because of the horrible music that was still playing over the speakers.

"Move!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs and both guards immediately jumped out of the way in surprise. They cleared their throats and stood up straighter, finally deciding to _do their job_ instead of just _messing around_. Ken grabbed the doorknob and wrenched it open, causing the door to bounce off the wall behind it and nearly smack him in the face when it came back. He shoved it out of his way and then slammed it shut behind him. He couldn't help noticing that as soon as the door had opened, the music stopped playing over the speakers.

Ken growled as he uncoiled his whip, letting it fall to the ground while his hand gripped the handle firmly. Motomiya had already been facing the bedroom door when he'd burst inside, but even so he had clearly been startled by the Kaiser's sudden entrance.

"Jeez, Ken, calm down!" Motomiya exclaimed as he crossed his arms, though his voice was oddly hushed.

"Silence!" Ken yelled back. "How did you do this?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Motomiya glared defiantly.

"As if I should believe that!" Ken stepped toward his prisoner, incredibly irritated that Motomiya would actually try and _deny_ this. "You set the sprinklers off _twice_ and now you think I'm going to believe that you didn't do this too?!" This was just... why was he having to deal with this right now? He had so many things he needed to be working on instead of punishing his prisoners!

"Well I don't know how the music started playing," Motomiya shrugged, though his tone was quite suspicious. "Honestly you're just as stubborn as me so there's no point in trying to convince you."

"Your voice tells me that you're lying," Ken stepped closer, his arm raising a little bit in preparation to strike with his weapon if he had to. "So why don't you explain to me why it is that the music went dead the _moment_ I walked into this room? You don't fool me, Motomiya. You knew I was talking to your friends over the hologram, didn't you? That's why you chose _now_ to pull your stupid prank!"

"You... You were talking to them...?" Motomiya trailed off, his eyebrows raising in a far more sincere expression of surprise than before. Then he covered his mouth with his hands to try and stifle his laughter.

"Do _not_ challenge me," Ken hissed and gripped the handle of his whip more firmly. "I would be more than happy to give you another injury on top of that sprained wrist! I gave this room to you so that you wouldn't bother me, and I'm more than willing to take it away if you're just going to cause trouble anyway. You can rot in the dungeons instead, I really don't care!"

After another deep breath and a few seconds of silence, the Kaiser pulled a small object out of his pocket. It was a device used to scan electronics and determine if they had been used recently. He pressed a button on it and a large blue beam shot out and onto the wall. He moved the beam of light all over, making sure to scan all of the equipment. He paid extra attention to the desk, examining it multiple times. After a few minutes, however, he growled and shoved it back into his pocket; he'd found absolutely nothing.

Alright, time for some incentive.

"How did you get the music to play?!" Ken demanded loudly as he flicked his wrist and snapped the whip's leather coil against the wall, just beside Motomiya's head. Motomiya didn't react though, which only angered him more. Ken stomped forward and reached to grab him by the neck... and his arm passed straight through him instead.

"You already asked that."

The Kaiser's eyes widened slowly when he heard Motomiya's voice come from two different locations in the room. He heard it in front of him where his prisoner currently was, but somehow he also heard it from directly behind him. He spun around and immediately found the source of the second voice; another Motomiya was there, somehow making two. They were both standing in the exact same position.

"Motomiya..." Ken trailed off dangerously, feeling a dread that he'd never experienced before creeping up into his chest. He realized suddenly, and he almost wanted to slap himself for not seeing it before, that both of these Motomiyas had slightly transparent bodies. It was almost impossible to see, especially when you were too angry to think straight, but now that he was really examining them... he saw it.

"How are you using my hologram system? Did you…?" Ken began asking until he realized something that only worsened his already ruined mood. He rephrased his question, "How did you get into my _bedroom_?"

There was only one way Motomiya could be doing this, and that was if he'd gotten Ken's hand-held hologram projector. It was a small device that could create up to 25 copies of the image being recorded within a mile long radius. In addition to that, it was much higher quality than his control room projector. It would explain why Ken hadn't immediately noticed that the Motomiya he'd barged in on wasn't real. He didn't use that device often, as its range was much more limited than it was on his actual computer, but it was good to have out on the field.

"I didn't," Motomiya answered simply, his voice still very quiet for some reason. Maybe the projector's volume was low?

"Alright, you listen now, and you listen _well_ ," Ken seethed, trying very hard to keep the creeping panic in his heart unnoticeable. "I'm going to give you this _one_ chance to tell me where you are, to stay put and to give me my projector back when I reach you. If you do this, then you won't be punished, and you should feel _extremely_ lucky to be given this option at all. Otherwise I _will_ find you, and you _will_ regret it."

"Hmm..." both Motomiyas trailed off simultaneously, their fingers going to their chins in thought. "How about I give you a clue and then when you find me, you just yell at me instead?"

Ken sputtered a little, having once again underestimated the response quality of his prisoner. Was he... offering a _compromise_ on his _punishment_?!

"Are you _kidding me_?!" the Kaiser exclaimed, feeling uncomfortable when five additional holograms suddenly spawned into view and began surrounding him, all talking louder and in unison.

"Nope, we're totally serious!" The many Motomiyas all grinned happily, clearly not taking Ken's words seriously at all whatsoever. "And I think I'm gonna start calling you 'Ken-chan' like Wormmon does. It fits you better than this 'Master' or 'Kaiser' crap."

"Excuse me?!" Ken yelled and glared viciously at the holograms, his face now hot with rage. This was just... just...! "You _will not_ address me by my real name, nor will you put a _'chan'_ at the end of it!"

"Poor Ken-chan..." the Motomiyas trailed off. "You sure you don't want some clues?"

The Kaiser spun on his heel and marched out of the bedroom.

********************

The door to the lower level kitchen was thrown open, six digimon scurrying out of the room in fear. A very unhappy Kaiser marched inside just seconds later. Without a care he began looking in the cupboards, turning tables over, and even going so far as to look inside the refrigerator. As he did, eight holograms of a very amused Motomiya suddenly appeared inside the room and positioned themselves all around him.

"Pretty desperate there, don't you think? _Ken-chan?_ " Motomiya's echoing voices sneered at him, his faces grinning as Ken looked under the sink. The volume of his prisoner's voice was much louder now, which only made it worse.

"I've obviously underestimated your abilities," Ken said in a much calmer voice than before as he stood up and slammed the sink cupboard shut. He just needed to relax and take deep breaths, or whatever it took to not let this little _wretch_ create such a strong effect on him. That would mean Motomiya had _won_ , and that was the worst possible thing. Just calm down... "But understand this," Ken continued. "It won't happen again."

"Oh yeah?" the Motomiyas laughed. "You're certain of that, are you?"

"I'm warning you..." Ken trailed off as he looked behind the garbage can. "The degree of your punishment _when_ I find you is only increasing more and more with each provocation."

"I see," every Motomiya said with a chuckle. "Well I'll give you a hint then, to drop my punishment by a few degrees. You're on the right floor. There, I helped you! Do I get a prize?"

Ken didn't reply, refusing to believe anything that Motomiya said. He could be telling the truth just as easily as he could be lying. Ken also wasn't going to consider skipping any areas just because they didn't seem likely to have someone hiding inside. This boy was obviously skilled at causing trouble, which had been quite thoroughly proven by the fact that Ken and many of his slaves had been searching for him for over an hour now. The newly replaced security cameras showed no signs of him anywhere.

"So this little hologram thing is pretty awesome!" Motomiya's voices spoke excitedly, a smirk forming on their faces. "I love how it shows me where you are on a map so I can keep stalking you. I'm basically using your own cameras against you."

Ken held his tongue, looking inside the sink itself now. As expected he found nothing, which frustrated him a lot more than was rational. His fists slammed onto the counter and he groaned loudly. Then he sighed, trying to calm himself down. Don't let the anger show… He could shut the cameras off so that Motomiya couldn’t find him anymore, but then that meant if he came out into view, then Ken wouldn’t find _him_ either.

"Need another clue, _Ken-chan_?" Motomiya asked with fake sweetness. He chuckled a little when Ken twitched at the name, the sound echoing horribly around the kitchen. When Motomiya continued speaking, Ken only twitched more. "I'll just say that you need to think a little more... obviously."

"What the hell does that mean?!" Ken demanded, smacking his face with the palm of his hand immediately afterward. He really was a miserable failure when it came to holding his emotions back, wasn't he?

"When someone finds me you'll understand," the holograms of his prisoner suddenly began teleporting around the room, appearing to be dancing.

"W-What are you doing?!" Ken asked as a headache began creeping up his skull. "You know what? Don't answer that. I dislike the things in your mind."

"Awe, poor Ken-chan," Motomiya laughed and stopped jumping around, only one hologram in the room with him now. His voice no longer echoed. "I'll only stalk you with one hologram, then."

"I refuse to speak with you anymore," Ken growled and stormed out of the kitchen, heading back down the main hallway. The hologram floated along with him, of course. Ken opened the door to one of the bathrooms and tore the room apart, but found nothing. Afterward he searched in one of the camera rooms nearby, finding nothing more than his slaves doing their jobs.

Ken groaned in frustration when Motomiya began singing 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts' in what was clearly an intentionally out of tune voice.

_'I don't know where else to look,'_ Ken thought desperately to himself, starting to panic as he ran out of places to look. If he didn't get rid of him soon, he was afraid that he may just pass out from the stress. He'd looked all over that floor already though, and the slaves had looked just about everywhere else! Was there even anywhere else to check? He'd been _everywhere_ now, and-!

Ken stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted Motomiya's bedroom near the end of the hallway. "No..." he trailed off in horror, though his anger was directed at himself this time.

_'Think more obviously'_

The Kaiser had just _assumed_ that Motomiya would have gone and hid somewhere other than his own bedroom, and that one of the slaves would have looked in there already. Now that he thought about it though, he'd never actually told any of them to search it more thoroughly. It would also explain why Motomiya had never been seen in the hallways on any of the security cameras.

Ken marched up to the door and threw it open, storming inside with newfound purpose. However, he was met with a silent, empty room. All of the electronics were off except for the lights, and it was actually quite tidy. Ken was about to leave when a thought occurred to him. The way that Motomiya had been standing would indicate that he was upright and on his feet. He had also been speaking very quietly up until the moment Ken had left the room earlier...

"Get out of the closet," Ken said slowly as he watched the door to his prisoner’s wardrobe. Sure enough the door opened and out came Motomiya just a few moments later, all of the holograms shutting off. Suddenly it all made sense.

Motomiya had been whispering before so that Ken wouldn't hear his voice coming from inside the closet. Once Ken had left the room he could talk normally without being caught though, and so his voice and actions had gotten bolder. It hadn't even occurred to him to scan the closet before, because... because...! _Because he shouldn't have to, that's why!_

"Seriously, Ken-chan… I thought this would be the _first_ place you'd look!" Motomiya laughed, Ken still standing in the doorway with his face completely emotionless. Motomiya got quiet then and seemed a little confused when Ken didn't immediately start yelling. Instead the Kaiser walked over and snatched the hologram projector out of Motomiya's hand and then stared at him, his face completely blank.

_'He wants to infuriate me,'_ Ken thought as he forced his body to remain still. _'He's trying to stress me out to the point where I'll throw him out of the base or something. It's just some lame attempt of escaping or getting revenge, but I can't let him win. I_ cannot _let him get to me like this or I'll just be wrapped around his dirty little finger. However... I can still punish him.'_

"Gorimon!" Ken hollered and the two guards quickly walked inside. "Take him to the northern dungeon and give him a cell. Instead of guarding this room you will bring him essentials like any of the other _prisoners_."

"Yes sir!" the guards bowed and took hold of Motomiya's shoulders, leading him through the door. Motomiya just sighed and allowed himself to be pushed down the hallway toward his cell in peace, one of the guards closing the door to his old bedroom behind them and leaving Ken alone inside.

After the door had shut and Ken could no longer hear footsteps retreating down the hallway, he grabbed the desk chair and threw it into the mirror on the closet door, screaming at the top of his lungs as frustration exploded from within his chest. Glass shattered everywhere, the back of the mirror crashing to the floor along with the chair and leaving a large dent in the wooden door. After that Ken took a very deep breath and released it slowly.

"Okay..." he said to himself as he left the room, feeling a bit better now. He'd get a slave to clean up the mess later.

Ken reached his control room quickly and raced over to the monitors to watch Motomiya get put into his cell. He needed to _see him_ imprisoned before he'd feel better, that much was for sure. Motomiya didn't appear to put up any kind of a fight as he was locked inside the cage though. He simply flopped down on his tiny bed and stared up at the ceiling with his arms behind his head. It was almost as though he was... _comfortable_...

Ken pressed his fingertips to his forehead and groaned. He already knew how Motomiya had managed to create the holographic images of himself, but he still didn't know how he'd even gotten the projector in the first place. It was safe to assume that he'd done it sometime after the sprinkler incident, but before Ken had been able to get all of the security cameras replaced. He also needed to figure out how Motomiya had gotten past so many sets of guards. Then there was the question of how he'd played the music over his base's loudspeakers.

A thought occurred to him as he turned to his main computer console. A good starting point would be to find out what had been used to play the music, and he could determine that by scanning all of the electronic equipment registered as having been used at the time the song began.

A few minutes passed before Ken's scans were done, and his results only left him with more frustrations. Apparently there had been over 50 different electronic devices marked as having been used at that time, and significantly more than half of them were relevant to this situation. It was as though every single music player, speaker and radio in his entire base had been accessed at the same time! That had to have been done on purpose just to make this more difficult for him!

Kent slammed his fists down on the keyboard in front of him, overwhelmed with how hard it was becoming to find such simple information. He took a deep breath and looked back up at the screen in front of him. Motomiya was lying down still with his legs crossed, his right foot tapping up and down in the air.

Ken had previously thought it would be a good idea to take a break from his special dark ring and work on the Chimeramon project again for a while, but he knew without a doubt now that the Bio Ring was a much higher priority, especially since-

"Ken-chan?" came the quiet voice of Wormmon from the doorway.

" _What_ did you just call me?!" Ken exclaimed angrily, his patience immediately coming to a screeching halt upon hearing that _disgusting_ name. The small amount of self-control he'd managed to muster up from the depths of his mind was now fraying at the ends.

"I-I'm sorry, I mean... Master..." Wormmon's shaky voice whispered and he began cowering behind Ken's throne.

"Just because Motomiya called me that does _not_ make it okay!" Ken decided right then and there that anymore mentions of his real name, especially with stupid attachments like _chan_ added on, would result in an immediate whipping. "Now _what do you want_?!"

"I just wanted to see if you were hungry," Wormmon seemed to feel a little braver now, having been directly asked to speak. "It's almost dinner time and you haven't eaten anything all day."

"I'll eat when I want to!" Ken shook his head and could feel a breakdown nearing. "Now _get out_!"

Wormmon slunk out of the room silently and Ken shut his eyes. He just needed to breathe... just calm down and not freak out like his prisoner wanted... He would work on the ring endlessly from this point on so that he could get Motomiya under control.

When Ken went to sit down in his chair, which should have been directly behind him, he went crashing down to the metal floor just like a few days prior. He hadn't noticed if it was there when he'd entered the control room or not, his attention having been entirely on getting to the monitors.

Instead of getting up, Ken simply stared at the ceiling for a while with one single thought turning over and over again in his mind.

_'I really hate that boy.'_

********************

V-Mon grinned as Kiwimon walked past him in the dungeon hallway, both of them winking at one another secretly. He stuffed the MP3 player that he'd found in Ken's room into the straw bed of his prison cell, noting to himself how good Kiwimon was at acting. It was a great quality for her role as Ken's main messenger; she'd be able to give him false information and keep him off track very well. While V-Mon hadn't liked it at the time, spending an entire day acting like a slave had paid off in the end.

The digimon in charge of the security cameras was now a part of V-Mon’s little resistance group and had recorded an entire day of "regular activity" to play on the cameras instead of actually showing the events going on in the dungeons. Now they'd be able to use that security room as a sort of 'headquarters!'

Many of the slaves, guards and maids, as well as a few other important digimon around the base had been released of their dark ring's control now. Every few days or so they planned to record another day of 'normality' so that Ken wouldn't get suspicious seeing the same movements over and over again on the security feeds. Everyone involved had been excited at the idea of causing Ken some pain and frustration before they escaped, even if it was a bit dangerous.

There were a few digimon who had simply wanted to leave upon being released of their dark ring’s control. V-Mon and the others had quickly worked together and found a way to get them out of the base at that point. V-Mon didn't want to force anyone to play along with his prank if they didn't want to.

Ryudamon had suggested that they just release all of the prisoners in the entire base so that everyone was free, but V-Mon convinced him otherwise. While it was a noble idea, it would ruin all of his plans! Besides, he couldn’t leave until he could find a way to get Daisuke out. Obviously they would all leave eventually, but why not stir up some trouble until then?

V-Mon sat down on the bed in his cell and his mind quickly went over their upcoming plan. He'd have to sneak into Daisuke's prison cell to warn him about it, since he'd been moved out of the bedroom now, but he knew that his partner would love the idea. Granted, Daisuke would end up taking all of the blame as it had been with the music and hologram pranks, but that was a good thing. It kept Ken suspicious of him instead of the digimon actually pulling the strings, and all Daisuke had done was play along.

The hardest part about their next plan was getting Daisuke's guards into the resistance, but as soon as they’d done that they'd be set! V-Mon couldn't help but giggle with happiness. He never thought he'd say this, but being stuck in Ken's base was kind of awesome!


	4. Self Destruction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: TeamAbodo and Vertorm
> 
> Author's Notes: The parts in bold are inserts of what V-Mon is doing at that moment. Not a writing style I normally use, but I felt it was the best way to give some insight to what the digimon were going through without having to interrupt the flow of the story too much.

Ken typed quickly at his computer, his eyes sharp with concentration. The lights in the room were dim and barely illuminating anything at all. Even the very computer he typed at was hardly lit up. There was an intensity radiating from the Kaiser himself that caused most of the slaves to avoid going into the control room unless directly asked for by their master, and the eerie silence only served to further ward them off.

Ken narrowed his eyes as he typed a little faster. The soft blue glow from the screen in front of him reflected off his face, causing dark shadows to form all across his features.

Gloved fingers slowly moved up to remove his glasses, setting them down beside him on the counter space. He squinted at the information in front of him, a quiet curse escaping his lips. He had to find the source of this madness, and he had to find it soon or...

**_"Did you replace the security videos yet?" V-Mon whispered to the others in the room with him. Ryudamon and Funbeemon nodded, giving him confident grins and sealing V-Mon's determination._ **

**_This was Perfect! Everything was going according to plan so far! If Ken checked any of his camera feeds from the top level of the base, he would now just see recordings of the previous two days instead of the real ones._ **

Another low curse was exhaled as the Kaiser realized he was running out of places to look. He'd already sifted through every single file, folder, piece of data - _everything_ in his entire computer's database, and he was now doing it all over again. The answer had to be there somewhere! It was probably right in front of his face, hidden behind the veil of stress that surrounded him.

"Sir..." Kiwimon's voice echoed into the room and sounded much louder than it truly was in comparison to the surrounding silence. Ken didn't acknowledge her or even look her way as she continued speaking. "The portable devices have started doing it too. We know for certain now that this all started with the electronics near the northern dungeon-"

"Silence," the Kaiser spoke harshly. He would not allow himself to be distracted from his work. Kiwimon made a slight sound as though to acknowledge him, and then she backed out of the room. She quietly shut the door behind her and the control room was shrouded in darkness once again.

Yes, he knew there were more... _infections_ scattered about the base. He didn't need to be informed as though he was blind. He'd only been investigating that very matter for the past _two hours_ now! Insipid fools.

**_"Shouldn't we head back to the dungeons now?" Ryudamon asked V-Mon as he glanced over at the security camera that showed Ken working diligently in his control room. "We should head back before we get caught."_ **

**_"You can if you want," V-Mon said idly as he continued to watch Ken. "Even if he checks the cameras in this room he won't notice us now, so I want to wait and see what he does! He can't stay on emergency power forever. He'll have to turn the main power back on eventually, and that's where the real fun is!"_ **

**_Ryudamon glanced over at the video of Ken and then back over at V-Mon, who had a mischievous grin on his face._ **

There had to be something the Kaiser hadn't thought of yet, some weakness in his programming that he hadn't realized could be so hard to find when he'd built the base.

Ken glanced over at the clock and growled. He'd wasted so much time. This wasn't going well at all. How could he have allowed this foolishness to happen? Well no, he hadn't _allowed_ it by any means. Apparently he just wasn't observant enough or something. Perhaps he'd been focusing a bit too much on his work and not enough on the activities taking place around him.

Far quicker than desired, he’d successfully checked every possible location in the entire length of the base for the second time now. The Kaiser rubbed his temples with his finger tips, groaning loudly and closing his eyes as a dull headache began to throb against his skull. With a defeated sigh, he pulled a small flashlight out of his pocket and proceeded toward the door. He had no other choice now... As humiliating as it was, he simply had to do it.

Someone, somewhere, was going to be _severely_ punished for this.

**_"He's moving! Do it!" V-Mon whispered urgently over to Funbeemon, who pushed some buttons and the videos quickly switched over to the hallways just outside the control room. Kiwimon's job was to get Ken suspicious of Daisuke by telling him that most of the issues were coming from his floor. In truth they really were, though V-Mon and the others had purposely set it up that way. Kiwimon had merely solidified Ken's suspicions by informing him personally._ **

**_The more suspicious of Daisuke that Ken became, the less likely he'd target one of them and discover what they were doing. It all appeared to be working too! A few minutes later they saw Ken walking down the hallway toward the dungeon._ **

The Kaiser's boots were loud in the corridors with no other sounds to drown them out. There were digimon scurrying about, some with flashlights as well but their noises were hushed in the gloom.

Before he knew it the Kaiser had reached the northern dungeon and dread immediately filled his stomach. He lifted his knuckles to the door and shook his head, closing his eyes slowly. There was no other choice... _No other choice_... He could do this...

The sound of firm knocking must have startled the Gorimon guards on the other side of the door, a muffled gasp seeping through the crack. Immediately it was thrown open and the guards bowed, allowing their master to enter. Ken walked swiftly over to the nearest cell in the dungeon and stopped in front of it, shining his flashlight through the metal bars.

"Get up," the Kaiser seethed with barely contained fury. "Get up now and come over here."

"Yeah, yeah," Motomiya sighed and stood up from the creaky bed. He made his way over to the door and crossed his arms impatiently. "What do you want?"

"Motomiya..." The Kaiser trailed off slowly after taking in a steady breath. "Tell me how you did this and everything can remain... relatively civil."

"What do you mean?" Motomiya asked, voice sounding genuinely confused.

"You..." Ken trailed off and rubbed his temples. "Don't even do this right now. Just _don’t do it_. I'm already a thread away from snapping and destroying everything within reach, so quit this stupid stunt and everything can continue as normal."

"If you don't tell me what I did then I don't see how I'm supposed to-"

" _This, Motomiya!_ " Ken hollered as he lost his patience immediately. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange looking remote, and with the push of a button the power in the base came back on. Motomiya squinted at the sudden light. For a moment he still seemed unsure about what Ken was talking about, but then he saw it.

Each room of the base had a small television in one of the corners that displayed what the security cameras were recording. It had sound built into it as well, though it normally was kept on mute so that there wasn't an echo between the multiple devices. However, it was turned up all the way this time and the video was playing something very, very different.

Motomiya looked Ken straight in the eyes, and then doubled over into a fit of laughter. Ken groaned loudly and let his arms go limp at his sides, staring up at the ceiling in defeat.

Yes, Ken really had just spent the last two hours trying desperately to figure out why a cartoon banana was dancing and singing about ‘peanut butter jelly time’ on every single screen in his base. It started in his control room and had only spread from there. Within ten minutes, every single security camera, playback video, display screen and now apparently even the portable devices were playing the same video on an endless repeat. As Kiwimon had reported, and as his own scans had confirmed, the infections had begun on the northernmost level and spread downward from there.

And wouldn't you know it, the top floor dungeon was right where Motomiya had been relocated to.

"Yes, it's just hilarious," the Kaiser spat, pressing a different button on the remote and returning the base to emergency power only. He shoved it back into his pocket and pulled the flashlight out again as the sudden lack of sound caused his ears to ring. "Now shut your mouth and listen!"

Motomiya stood up straight and stopped laughing, but he was still snickering under his breath with a hand over his mouth.

"You _will_ tell me where this madness is coming from," Ken said slowly and in a very dangerous tone of voice, pressing his gloved hand up against the cell bars. "Or so help me, I will have a dark ringed V-Mon beat the crap out of you until you _scream it_ to me instead!"

Motomiya stopped snickering after that and his eyes lowered into a glare. He tapped his foot for a second and looked down at the floor with his arms crossed, appearing to be thinking to himself. He stayed like that for a little while, chewing on his lip and not saying anything. Then suddenly his eyebrows raised as something occurred to him. He cleared his throat after that and looked back up with a neutral expression on his face.

"Alright," Motomiya nodded and unfolded his arms. "I do know where the video is coming from and I can tell you right where it is… on three conditions."

**_"Conditions?" V-Mon pondered out loud. Daisuke knew that V-Mon was responsible for all this, but he couldn't possibly know the details. They hadn't had the time to coordinate the mission with him at all, which meant that Daisuke was bluffing and had a plan of his own._ **

**_V-Mon listened hard for what his partner would say next. Could Daisuke have figured out they were watching him through the security footage?_ **

"… Conditions?" the Kaiser narrowed his eyes again and repeated slowly, his tone even more dangerous than before. Motomiya didn't flinch though, simply nodding in response.

"Yes, conditions," Motomiya repeated himself and continued. "First," - he lifted up his index finger - "V-Mon and I will not have any dark rings put on us while we're here, ever." He lifted another finger. "Second, we get the nice room back."

The Kaiser's expression didn't change a bit, having already guessed that Motomiya would ask for these things. There was a long silence as they looked at each other before Ken eventually spoke. "And…?"

"And lastly…" Motomiya trailed off as the third finger rose. "You let me and V-Mon roam the base freely."

********************

The Kaiser whistled lightly to himself and typed quickly at the laptop he had resting on his thighs. He shifted a little in his chair to get more comfortable. The control room was brighter now and his glasses were back on his face.

On the laptop's screen was his Bio Ring project, statistics running quickly across the flipped-up monitor. He already knew everything that it said and he didn't need to actually read any of the content. He was only looking for one particular section. He couldn't quite stop his eyes from glancing above the screen for a split second, however. A smirk formed on his face immediately and his eyes went back down to the monitor, fingers once again clicking keys.

"Things could have been much easier than this, you know," Ken said with genuine calmness for the first time in many hours. "Not that I would have expected you to make _anything_ easy for me."

The sound of a nearby chuckle echoed lightly around the room. Ken glanced back up from his laptop. His eyes narrowed in contempt and he closed the screen, folding his hands on top of it and sitting upright in the chair.

"Something funny, Motomiya?" Ken asked tiredly. Motomiya chuckled again and leaned his head back, resting it against the metal pole that he was tied up against.

The post had been set up in the very center of the Kaiser's control room and had been heavily bolted to the ceiling and floor. Motomiya had been pressed against it and tied up tightly in chains with his arms above his head. The Kaiser had considered putting tape over his mouth, but he decided against it in the end. After all, he still needed to persuade him into explaining how he'd gotten the videos to play. Using his laptop had been his only option at this point, as it was the only portable device in the base not hooked up to the computer's main interface.

Ken had been forced to route more of the emergency power to the control room, but that wasn't a huge problem. He had already been distracted far too many times and he refused to play any more of these stupid games. He'd leave that to the twenty Gorimon guards that he’d positioned around his tied up prisoner instead.

One of the guards picked up a nearby taser and turned it on, electricity sparking from the metal prongs on the end of it momentarily. They walked over to the post in the middle of the room and stood in front of Motomiya, waiting for Ken to give the order.

"Well?" Ken asked calmly from his chair. "Are you going to talk now, or shall we continue with the games?"

"It's funny how you still think I’d even consider helping you," Motomiya replied defiantly. "The longer it takes you to give me my demands, the longer it’ll be before the chaos stops."

Ken sighed and opened his laptop again, flicking his wrist at the guard and giving the order to proceed. Without even looking up to watch, the Kaiser went back to typing at his computer. In his peripheral vision he watched as the Gorimon quickly closed the distance between the taser and Motomiya's side.

Motomiya grit his teeth and apparently refused to scream, only grunting a little bit before the device was removed. The power on the taser wasn't very high, though Ken had every intention of increasing it bit by bit with each use.

**_"Is everything ready?" V-Mon asked the others in the room, receiving reassuring nods a few moments later. He nodded back and got in position._ **

**_Their new plan was dangerous for sure. They hadn't really had any time to prepare as the situation had suddenly changed, so they could easily get caught. They were still in the camera room with the false recordings, so that would at least give them some cover. They hadn't had a chance to get Andromon's help in keeping the traces of their work hidden though, which was something they normally did. He'd done a great job with hiding the source of the videos playing in the base, but they were certainly taking their chances with this new course of action._ **

**_Luckily for them, even if it were possible for Ken to track what they were doing, it didn't necessarily mean they'd get caught. The security cameras on the top floor had been shut off for the sake of their prank, so as long as no one knew they'd been up there then they should be fine. Not to mention the amount of chaos they were about to create might just be enough to keep Ken from caring about them in the first place._ **

**_He just had to wait for the right moment now…_ **

"You really do confuse me, Motomiya," Ken spoke up idly, still not looking over at him. "You had a nice room and even some privileges that no other slave has ever had before, and now look at you... Chained to a pole and surrounded by guards. And all for what? Some fun?"

"I made a promise when I came here," Motomiya said hoarsely from the post, one of the chains digging into his neck after trying to shift his position.

"And what was that?" Ken finally looked directly into his prisoner's eyes, not liking the determination he was finding in them.

Motomiya grinned triumphantly at him, "That I'd make you regret every second you kept me here."

**_Perfect._ **

"Warning!" an electronic, genderless voice echoed throughout the control room. "Self destruct initiated, base detonation in 20 minutes!"

Everyone in the room jumped with fright as a terribly loud alarm began ringing and the red flashing crisis lights filled the control room. Ken accidentally dropped his laptop and the guards began looking around in a panicked confusion. With a furious growl, the Kaiser leapt out of his chair and nearly threw himself at his computer console. He cursed loudly when he realized that the stupid banana video from earlier was still playing. He couldn't tell what was on the screen behind it!

Ken cursed again and picked his laptop back up off the floor, setting it down over the console and typing at a speed that shouldn't have been physically possible for any human being. A minute or two passed as the guards continued to look around the room as though they might just find some big ' _shut off_ ' button on the ceiling.

Suddenly Ken slammed his laptop shut with a loud ' _bang!_ ' of the top cover.

"Warning! Self destruct initiated, base detonation in 17 minutes!"

"I know!" Ken yelled with his eyes shut, rubbing his face roughly with his gloved hands. An overwhelming amount of stress was starting to cloud his mind. "Who authorized this?!"

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon's voice cut through the chaos as he suddenly entered the room. "Ken-can, why did you activate the self destruct?! We need to evacuate the-!"

" _First of all_!" Ken growled as he kicked the worm across the floor, his anger managing to overpower his confusion for the moment. "My name is _not Ken-chan_! And _second of all_ , I didn’t activate it!"

"S-Sorry, Master…" Wormmon grumbled as he straightened himself out and hobbled back over to the Kaiser. "If you didn't activate it then who did? You're the only one with the authorization to do so!"

"You think?!" Ken nearly screamed at the top of his lungs. "I'm not an idiot you piece of worthless filth!" Ken moved his glare over to Motomiya, who didn't give any sort of response to the gesture and remained perfectly still against his post. Ken looked back down at Wormmon. "And no way am I evacuating the base!"

"But Ke-Master!" Wormmon caught himself. "If you aren't able to deactivate it then everything will be destroyed! All of your work, the slaves… everything! You'll have nothing to defend yourself with!"

Wormmon was right and Ken knew it, which only served to piss him off even more. Not only would he lose his base, but also everything that he'd worked so hard for. He would lose the whole game, plain and simple. He’d have nothing to fight the Chosen with, and in that case he may as well just go back to the real world with his tail between his legs.

No, that was simply unacceptable! If he evacuated then yes, he'd lose the base, but that wasn't such a huge setback. He could make another one without too much trouble, and he'd still have his army behind him while he worked.

"Damn it…" Ken groaned and once again rubbed his face, feeling a little dizzy now. "I… Fine! _You_ can evacuate everyone in the base, Wormmon! At least you'd be doing something useful for once! Make sure you get my equipment out as well... I need to try and stop the computer from blowing itself up. And as for _him_ …" Ken trailed off as he looked over at Motomiya, his voice dropping poisonously. "He can go _rot in the dungeons_ and pray that I manage to figure out how to fix this before-!"

"But…" Wormmon cut him off nervously, clearly not wanting to but doing it anyway for some _imbecilic_ reason. "You'll need him to go get the power source."

"Don't interrupt me while I'm-!" Ken froze up when he realized what Wormmon meant. Damn that insect for being right again!

The force field he'd put up around the strange object powering his base could only be passed through by a human. He'd done that as a safety measure when he created the fortress so that only he could ever touch it. Normally he could deactivate the force field from his control room, but with this stupid video covering all of his screens he had no way of getting to the commands to do it. His laptop was working, but since it wasn’t connected to the mainframe it couldn’t access the commands either.

His only option now was to send a human down there to retrieve it physically. It was at the very bottom level of the base, so if he did it himself then he'd have to evacuate immediately afterward. That meant he wouldn't be able to work on stopping the self destruct, so the only way he could save it and still be able to work on this situation from the control room was if he…

"Oh for _fuck's sake_!" Ken swore and ran his hands through his hair, groaning loudly afterward and staring up at the ceiling. No way… no _goddamned_ way… "Absolutely _not_!"

"Master, Daisuke _has_ to get it if you're going to stay up here!" Wormmon continued. "It's the only way you can possibly save both the power source and the base."

"But... But I... He's a _slave_! They...! He...! _Agh_!" Ken stammered as he paced back and forth.

"Warning! Self destruct initiated, base detonation in 15 minutes!"

" _Alright_!" Ken took a deep breath to try and calm down. "Wormmon, evacuate the _stupid_ base while I work on this." Ken turned and motioned over to the guards surrounding Motomiya. "As for the rest of you, please escort this..." - Ken's eyes flashed over to his prisoner's face for a second - " _terrorist_ to the power room. But if he does anything suspicious, and I mean _anything at all_ , then drag him away and just evacuate without it. We'll have to leave it behind in that case. Maybe I’ll be able to recover it afterward or something... _Is that fully understood_?!"

"Yes, sir!" The guards said in unison and began unchaining Motomiya from the post. Ken clenched his fists at his sides. Somehow he could just tell that he’d been tricked again...

********************

The amount of chaos in the base was staggering even with the current situation that was going on, and Daisuke found himself staring as he walked. Digimon were everywhere - running, screaming, carrying things and getting under his feet, or outright knocking him over as he turned a corner. That was even with a sea of guards surrounding him obnoxiously.

It had taken roughly 3 minutes to reach the bottom level of the base, though most of that time had been spent pushing and shoving their way in and out of the elevator. This left them 10 minutes before the base exploded; they'd have 5 minutes at most to remove this "power source" thing, and then 5 minutes to leave the base and get to a safe distance. There were a bunch of Airdramon outside the backdoor waiting for them apparently, which would fly them all to safety.

Daisuke readied himself as he approached a very large door that could only be opened by typing a pass code onto a small electronic pad attached to the wall. There must have been at least twenty different numbers the guard entered before it opened. Once it did though, Daisuke couldn't help but stare in shock at the sight before him.

There was a thin walkway that lead into the center of the room with a seemingly bottomless drop below it. Daisuke couldn't see anything more than darkness in the pit underneath, and it was the same when he looked up. He knew the base had a top and bottom, but not being able to see them was making him very uncomfortable.

In the center of the pit, and where the thin walkway lead to, was a massive pipe. It stretched the full height of the base from top to bottom before disappearing into the distance above and below. It was thick enough to fit a group of people inside from the looks of it, and there was even a door along the side of it where the walkway connected to.

Daisuke immediately felt nervous about the weight of their group. He wasn't afraid of heights by any means, but there were quite a few large guards attempting to cross this rickety bridge with him, and without V-Mon there to protect him if he fell...

Daisuke felt a shove against his back and he stumbled forward, both adrenalin and frustration filling his chest at the same time. He didn't fight back as the guards forced him onward though, hoping to wait for a better opportunity to try and escape. All he’d likely do here was fall off the side to his doom.

They reached the door to the strange central pipe-tower quickly enough, which Daisuke was thankful for. Another code was entered and the door slid to the side, Daisuke finding himself a bit disappointed with the sight before him. For some reason he’d expected to find something more extravagant inside since this was supposedly the object that made Ken's base work. However, all he found was a pedestal and a strange black… _thing_ sitting on top with a force field around it. Ken seemed the type to have something more gaudy than this, as well as guards monitoring it with guns, traps and gold adornments everywhere because 'hey, why not.’ But there it was sitting all alone, plain and gray.

Apparently all he needed to do was grab it and go.

As Daisuke walked into the room after yet another overly firm shove by one of the guards, he found himself staring at the force field. Ken had said it would let a human's hand pass through it, but he really didn't find himself trusting the word of his enemy so easily. What if it dissolved his skin instead?!

Thankfully as he tested a single finger by nervously moving it through the field, he found it to be perfectly intact when he pulled it back out. The rest of his hand was able to pass through it without difficulty as well, and he was quickly lifting the strange power source off the pedestal. However, right when he was about to turn and leave, the object started to glow. A golden light began radiating so brightly from it that everyone else had to shield their eyes while Daisuke tried not to drop it.

"What the-?!" Daisuke started but was cut off when he felt a presence in his mind. There was a whisper in his ears but he couldn't make out any of the words over the sound of his own heart beating. He felt a strong urge to the put the object back on the pedestal, though it didn’t feel like his own desire. Was this what the whispers were telling him to do?

"Put you back…?" Daisuke asked out loud, not sure why he was doing so. He didn't even know if he'd heard anything in the first place. Somehow though, he had a feeling in his heart that this object was trying to communicate with him.

"What are you doing?!" one of the guards shouted at him. "Bring it over here right now!"

Before Daisuke could reply he felt another tug at his heart, and the urge to put the object back was even stronger than before. This thing... It wasn’t time yet? Is that what it was saying?

"But why?" Daisuke asked, louder this time and feeling extremely confused. "Why would you want to stay?"

"Who are you talking to?!" another guard shouted from a little closer this time, obviously just as confused as Daisuke was.

Sadness filled Daisuke's chest and he immediately thought of Ken. This object... It didn't want to leave the Kaiser behind. It wanted to stay with Ken, he was _certain_ of it.

"Ken?" Daisuke asked with an eyebrow raised. "But why would you want to stay with _him_?"

And just like that his viewpoint shifted - new thoughts and ideas swam through his head, this time making him feel that it was really _Ken_ who needed _it_. This power source or whatever it was... It knew that Ken was suffering. But how did he even know all of this so suddenly?

Daisuke felt an arm grab his shoulder and yank him back, and he was only able to get one last thought before the object was wrenched from his grasp entirely by one of the Gorimon guards. This power source and Ken were connected. They were one-in-the-same, they were Kindness.

"You're in a lot of trouble!" The Gorimon growled and began pulling him away, not caring how fragile the human's arm was.

"No, wait!" Daisuke exclaimed but immediately grimaced and tried not to cry out in pain. He hadn't been able to fully understand what that thing wanted to tell him, but there wasn’t much he could do without V-Mon there to help.

Daisuke grit his teeth in frustration as he was dragged back down the walkway and into the base's corridors. He was marched toward a door they hadn't gone through before, which took them to a ledge outside the base. Almost immediately he was thrown onto the back of an Airdramon hovering nearby.

Daisuke rubbed his aching wrists as they flew away. As long as that strange power source was with the guards, he wouldn’t be able to communicate with it again… Damn it.

They reached the top of a cliff quickly enough with the guards landing one after another around him. None of them seemed to care about him anymore though. They all just walked off and relaxed. After all, Daisuke was now stranded atop a lonesome cliff. What was he gonna do, jump off?

He hated this… There was no way to escape without V-Mon, so with a long sigh Daisuke plopped down on the ground and gave up for now. His eyes locked onto the base a ways below and his mind began swimming with questions and confusions that he didn't know if he'd ever get answered. That only served to aggravate him more.

"Daisuke."

He was startled at the sudden use of his name and looked around to find the source. When he saw V-Mon standing next to him, all of his upsets and worries vanished immediately.

"V-Mon!" Daisuke hugged his partner tightly, unable to hold back the excitement that spread throughout his chest. Then something dawned on him and he leaned back to look V-Mon over. He felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of a dark ring around his neck.

"Shh!" V-Mon hushed his friend urgently and began looking around to make sure no one had noticed. Once it seemed that they were still in the clear, V-Mon continued in as quiet a voice as he could manage. "The ring isn't active. Don't worry, I'm me."

"Oh!" Daisuke had to hold back a huge smile now. "That’s great!"

"I can't stay long, I found out they were bringing you up here after your job so I rode up on an Airdramon. I need to tell you something, and then I have to go... I can't let Ken see us together!"

"Right," Daisuke nodded slowly and leaned down to let his friend give him the message…

********************

"Warning! Self destruct initiated, detonation in 2 minutes!"

Ken sighed as the computerized voice rang out, hundreds of digimon hovering in the air or waiting at a safe distance away from the blast radius. He knew exactly how far away they needed to be, and anyone that hadn't listened to his instructions could go ahead and blow up for all he cared. He couldn't claim to be stress-free, however.

He'd worked so hard to try and get the computer to cancel the self destruct, but it just wouldn't register anything he did. No matter how many times he'd entered the keyboard command to cancel the self-destruct - a last-resort feature that he'd included in his interface - nothing had changed. He simply hadn't had enough time to troubleshoot the program anymore. All he could do now was hope that he could make a new base before the other Chosen showed up to kick him while he was down.

There was a strained silence as everyone waited with baited breath for the explosion. They all knew it was coming, and somehow knowing made it all the more tense. There was a special sort of rage bubbling in the Kaiser’s chest as he prepared to watch his hard work literally blown up in his face. He would not let this push him over the edge though. He knew that Motomiya had caused this somehow and was only doing it to try and get his demands. Ken would _not_ give in no matter what. He was not weak and he would not lose so easily.

Speaking of Motomiya…

"Well I hope you're proud of yourself," the Kaiser seethed but tried not to let it show in his voice, not wanting to give his prisoner the satisfaction of hearing it. He didn't usually care if he showed anger in front of others, but somehow this was different. He knew that Motomiya was purposefully trying to infuriate him, and letting him see that he'd succeeded gave the Kaiser's stomach an unsettling lurch.

"Quite," Motomiya replied simply as he sat down on the ground next to Ken and watched the base with a relaxed expression on his face.

"Warning! Self destruct initiated, detonation in 10 seconds!" the voice rang out once again. Ken clenched his fists at his sides. As the voice counted down from 9, he could have sworn he saw a smirk play over Motomiya's face, though it was hard to tell when he wasn't facing him straight on.

"5," the computer counted. "4, 3, 2, 1."

...

Ken waited for it. He waited for _something_. An explosion, a rumbling sound… _anything_. He felt his fists clench even harder as the silence continued outside.

...

"… What?" Ken asked quietly to himself as he stared in confusion at the completely unharmed base before him. Why hadn’t it blown up? Had he actually shut off the self-destruct after all? He really didn’t think so because it would have announced that a manual override had been accepted. So why was it-?

Suddenly it hit him.

Ken felt the grip on his D-3 loosen in his hand as he turned to stare at Motomiya. It all made sense now... This would explain why no matter how many times he'd told the computer to deactivate the self-destruct it just hadn't done anything... It was because it simply hadn't been activated _at all_!

It had all been a recording, played in replacement for the stupid banana video sounds. Now that Ken could think without so much confusion and stress, the moment the warnings started going off, the banana video had stopped playing its sound. The videos had covered all of the screens in the base so that he couldn't check any of the status reports. If not for that, he would have realized immediately that the self destruct hadn't actually been turned on. Plus with all the chaos of the possible explosion going on, he hadn't ever been able to find the source of the videos to shut them off. He could reprogram the computer system so that this couldn't happen again, but the fact that it had happened at _all_...

He hadn't thought to chaos-proof his _damned base_!

"Now, now, Ken-chan, don't be so angry," Motomiya mockingly soothed his enemy, standing up to clearly get himself into a more defensive position in case Ken tried to attack him. "I tried to warn you that as long as you don't give me my demands, the chaos will continue. It's up to you how this ends!"

Ken placed his free hand on his head and gripped his hair, a strong headache starting to creep into his skull. Oh that little...! How could someone as completely _stupid_ as Motomiya Daisuke do things like this?! It just wasn't _possible_!

"How are you doing this...?" Ken felt himself ask without meaning to, frustration overwhelming his sense of judgment. “How?!”

"Just give me my demands and it can stop," Motomiya repeated his intentions firmly, not moving or backing down in the slightest. There was nothing he could physically do with hundreds of guards around him, but that didn't matter. What Motomiya was counting on, and Ken knew it, was that Ken would now be too afraid to do anything in case Motomiya caused some new sort of terror in retaliation.

And it was working.

"No, _no_!" Ken yelled suddenly and started everyone around him. "I won't give in to this! _I am better than you!_ I'm better than _all of you_! You can't defeat me, especially not like this!"

Motomiya grinned. "That's okay, Ken-chan. We can continue the game if you want," he said with enough sarcasm to fill the bottomless pit back in the base.

Ken knew what Motomiya was really trying to say... For as long as Ken didn't give him his demands, he'd make sure that nothing was ever accomplished in the base because he'd find ways to interrupt it. This was his way of defeating him. He'd just stall his progress until his damned friends could break in and rescue him themselves or something.

Ken would never do something as shameful as let his prisoner go because he couldn't handle him. That was worse than losing. So could either continue to play these stupid games and accomplish nothing in the long run, or he could give Motomiya his demands and... and then what? Then he would actually stop? But _would_ Motomiya stop? There was no way to know, and it was just as shameful to give in as it was to quit. He couldn’t even kill the little rat because no matter how much he hated him, Motomiya was still a real person with an actual soul, unlike the digimon.

No matter what Ken did he'd lose. It was genius.

Before his sense of pride could catch him, Ken felt his knees hit the ground. He… He couldn’t allow this! He'd just have to restrain Motomiya even more, or… or…!

 _'But I even tied him to a metal post in the middle of my Control Room!'_ a nagging voice pointed out in the back of his mind, making his headache throb even more. What else could do?! The whole point of capturing him was to use him as a test subject for the Bio Ring. He could keep Motomiya unconscious, but that would defeat the point as well since then he wouldn't even be doing anything more than lying around and taking up resources.

But he couldn't give him back to the Chosen! That was the most shameful option of all and he would not even consider it! But he couldn't keep him around like this either or he'd never get anything done and he’d lose! But…! But he…!

"AAAAGH!" Ken yelled at the top of his lungs, ignoring everything else around him. This was too much… It was just too much.

"So, Ken-chan," Motomiya said, the smirk oozing from his voice so much that the Kaiser didn't need to see it to know it was there. "About those demands…"

Ken slowly looked at the other boy as he rose back up to his feet. His fists finally unclenched as he locked eyes with his prisoner. No matter what option he went with it, Ken was almost certain now that it wouldn't be the right one.


	5. Sparks Will Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: TeamAbodo and Vertorm

Daisuke fiddled with the metal band around his once-sprained wrist as he sat at the kitchen table. He’d been given some kind of super cream that had greatly increased its rate of healing, but almost immediately after he’d had the cast removed it was replaced with the tracker instead. He'd never been the type to wear accessories other than his goggles, and even though the band wasn't too large it still bothered him relentlessly. The little beeping sound it made every second or so, while almost inaudible, was getting increasingly annoying every time it went off.

Ken had surely included it as some kind of punishment for his behavior.

The Kaiser had agreed to give him and V-Mon a key card to all of the non-classified rooms in the base. They got their room back and V-Mon's dark ring was removed. All of this was on the understanding that the two of them would be wearing trackers and were not to disturb the Kaiser under any circumstances. If they did, then they would both be locked up in cheap metal cages and hung  over the bottomless pit in the generator room. Additionally, Daisuke was now supposed to go to the Control Room every day at 10am for experimentation sessions, or whatever it was that the Kaiser wanted.

Ken still wasn't aware that it hadn’t been Daisuke who caused all the terrors around the base. As for V-Mon, his ego had soared to the clouds only to have it brought crashing back down to the ground shortly after. Ken had re-applied the dark rings and spirals onto every other digimon in the base except for him and Wormmon. This was most likely due to paranoia, but it meant that the digimon who had helped them before were now back to being slaves. Ken had also re-installed all of his base's security and cameras, and had routed all of the video feedback directly to his Control Room in addition to the normal security rooms.

Put simply, they had gotten away with it before but they would not be able to again. As long as Ken didn't find out how they'd done it and they didn't upset him too much, they could probably keep their privileges until they managed to find a way to escape. In the meantime they'd just have to keep up the good behavior and pray that Andromon had done a good enough job at erasing all the evidence of V-Mon's little... adventures.

"Daisuke, you okay?" V-Mon's voice cut through his thoughts suddenly.

Daisuke looked up at his partner on the other side of the kitchen table. It was the first morning of their semi-freedom, and both he and V-Mon had decided that they were absolutely _sick_ of replicator food. It all tasted like rubber and was about as chewy as such. Neither had cooked much before, but they agreed that they'd even prefer their own kitchen failures over one more plate of hot plastic.

And kitchen failures their food indeed became... Was it better than the replicators like they'd hoped? Well, they were determined to think so.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine." Daisuke smiled and finished off the last of his food.

"Liar." V-Mon raised an eyebrow at his partner, reading his lack of enthusiasm as only a digimon partner could.

In all honesty a lot of things had been bothering Daisuke lately. There were just too many unknowns to the Kaiser and it was enough to make his brain explode. He'd already found himself baffled enough that Ken didn't seem to have any issues with the things he was doing, and now he had even more confusions to deal with. The Kaiser’s project to create a dark ring for humans had been bad enough, but now there was a talking, possibly sentient generator in his base?

"Look, it's nothing," Daisuke said and stood up with his plate in hand as he headed over to the sink to rinse it. Thankfully there wasn't anyone else in the kitchen with them. “I just have a lot of weird things on my mind."

"Like what?" V-Mon asked innocently through his food, crumbs falling out of his mouth.

"Well..." Daisuke trailed off as he set the dish in the sink and turned the water on, watching the way it slowly filled up. He looked at his reflection in the hot liquid, a frown settling upon his face. There were a lot of things he was trying to figure out, but most of all he wanted to know why Ken was doing all of this. He’d always wondered, but after his experience in the generator room he found himself thinking about it a lot more now. He wished he’d been able to ask it more questions...

He really didn’t like the strange new connection to the Kaiser he’d been feeling ever since he’d touched that thing... It wasn't a connection that he could explain. He hadn't even been around Ken very much since then, but it was there. At first he’d thought maybe it was just a side effect from the whole experience, but he was pretty sure it was more than that now.

"I just..." Daisuke spoke up finally as he tried to simplify the things in his mind. "V-Mon, do you think Ken is human?"

"Uh..." V-Mon raised an eyebrow, pausing from devouring the food on his plate. "Yeah?"

"When I say human..." Daisuke shook his head and sighed. "I don't mean physically. I know he's _human_. What I mean is... Do you think he has humanity?"

"What’s humanity...?" V-Mon just seemed more confused now.

"It's like..." Daisuke sighed, realizing that he was probably talking to the wrong person about this but it wasn't like he really had anyone else to discuss it with. "Okay, humanity normally means that you have the qualities of a human being, but it can also mean kindness and compassion for others. So if I asked someone where their humanity went, I'm asking where their kindness went."

"Oh... So you're asking if I think Ken is _kind_?" V-Mon asked with a long, slow blink.

"No," Daisuke laughed and smiled over at his partner. "Never mind."

"Well don't digimon have humanity then?" V-Mon asked, obviously stuck on the thought now.

"Hmm..." Daisuke trailed off as he thought about the question. Yeah, it would make sense for digimon to have humanity, which was funny since they weren't actually humans. In a sense it made the word a bit invalid. It was used in a sense that indicated it was special only to humans, but in fact there were many other creatures out there with it that weren't human. At the same time, there were many humans who didn't appear to have a shred of it, such as Ken.

"Well," Daisuke spoke up and walked over to hug his partner. "You have it for sure."

V-Mon smiled and ate more of his food as Daisuke went back to the dishes. Maybe this was what that strange voice had meant. It said it was trying to find Ken, and that it was Kindness. Did that mean it was Ken's humanity? Had there been some strange glitch when Ken first came to the Digital World that separated him from his humanity and now he couldn't get it back?

Daisuke’s thoughts were cut off as a quiet alarm sounded from his waterproof wristband, which doubled as a digital watch.

"9:55... Time to head to the Control Room," Daisuke sighed and dried off his hands, realizing that he'd been thinking too much to actually wash the dishes. "V-Mon, could you finish these for me?"

"Sure," the digimon nodded but had a look of concern on his face. "Meet me back at our room when you're done, okay? If Ken tries to hurt you, kick him in the face for me!"

"Okay!" Daisuke laughed and nodded back as he headed for the doorway. "Don't worry, V-Mon, the ring won't take me over. I won't let it!”

V-Mon gave a much happier smile this time. “Yeah! If you take too long I’ll come check up on you.”

With a quick thumbs up to his partner, Daisuke left the kitchen. He quickly walked down the hall toward the elevator. The room he and V-Mon had been given was on the same floor as the kitchen, which was only a little ways down the hall from the control room. Ken had surely done that on purpose to keep his prisoners under close surveillance. This way if anything strange happened, Ken could probably get to them pretty quick.

Daisuke reached the Control Room much faster than he'd expected. He sighed and slumped his shoulders in front of the huge door. He sure felt stressed... This would be his first time really interacting with Ken since the self destruct incident, Ken’s slaves having set everything up for Daisuke and explained the new rules of his partial freedom. Ken had refused to talk to him while he prepared the experiments or whatever. Daisuke wasn't so sure he'd given him enough space yet...

He raised his fist in front of the door and tried to knock, but he found that his arm wasn't able to move. He knew if he didn't show up for this he'd regret it, but at the same time he wasn't sure if he'd regret it any more than just going back to the kitchen.

9:59... Well, it was a lose-lose situation so he may as well just do it.

He felt his knuckles knock against the door so lightly that he was sure no one heard it. It was progress though, and at least he'd managed to-

Daisuke was surprised to see the large door open, but even more surprised when no one was there. Had it opened on its own?

"Yes?"

Daisuke looked down toward his feet where the sound had come from.

"Oh, Wormmon!" Daisuke mentally slapped himself. Of course... Wormmon always answered the door for Ken. He was only a foot high or something. "Sorry, I didn't you see you there."

"It's fine. What do you need?" the small digimon asked very quietly.

"Just here to be Ken's guinea pig, apparently,” Daisuke said with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh..." Wormmon trailed off and suddenly seemed nervous. “Ken... uh... probably shouldn't be disturbed right now.”

"But..." Daisuke trailed off, having a sinking feeling that he really was going to be in trouble no matter what he did. "Won't he might be mad if I don't show up?"

"Well..." Wormmon also trailed off, probably thinking the same thing. "Just... don't speak unless spoken to, okay?"

"Uh... Sure..." Daisuke rubbed the back of his head and walked through the doorway, Wormmon closing it shut behind them. The room was so dark that it was nearly pitch black. The only source of light was an extremely large screen in the middle of the opposite wall. Ken was sitting in his throne chair in front of it. Daisuke couldn't see his face from where he was standing, but the fact that he could nearly taste how much tension there was in the room didn't help him feel any better.

It was then that Daisuke found his eyes moving toward the screen.

"Where was the last place you saw him?" a male reporter asked a middle aged woman with curly brown hair. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face seemed to be plagued with sadness.

"It was dinner time..." the woman trailed off quietly, obviously trying to hold back tears. "He hadn't wanted to eat anything that night and went to his room early. He'd been doing that a lot lately... just not eating or not being around. Then a few hours later we went into his room. There was the letter and he was just... gone."

"But don't you live on the third floor?" asked the reporter in a confused tone of voice.

"Yes, we do," the woman nodded slowly, the same confused expression appearing on her face as well. "It makes no sense at all... How could he have left? His room doesn't have a fire escape railing, only a balcony. All I can think is that he snuck out through the front door and we didn't hear him, but it was so quiet... I just don't see how that's possible either. It’s all very confusing."

"Akane-san, there are many theories on his disappearance," the reporter said as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and scanned over it. "Most think he ran away for some personal reason, but some have suggested that someone put him up to it. Perhaps blackmail or with threats? Your family has a lot of publicity and money, so they might feel that you'll respond to some kind of demands. What do you think about this?"

"Anything is possible..." the woman sighed, tears filling her eyes. "If someone really did threaten or blackmail him into this, then I hope they'll let him go! If they want money then we'll give it to them! No one has come to us with any such demands though. Just... Ken is the only thing my husband and I have anymore, after Osamu's death..."

Daisuke felt the tension increase in the room drastically as Ken physically stiffened.

The woman wiped her eyes and shook her head. "Ken, if you can hear me then please come home! Just talk to us! We want to know why you're gone, but you have to tell us what we can do to fix things. I know we're not as smart as you, and maybe we should have figured it out on our own… but we're only regular people and I'm sorry for that. If someone is forcing you then please, to that person, just leave my son alone! He's all we have! We'll give you anything you want, just tell us! I can't lose another son like-"

The screen suddenly went black as Ken angrily snatched a remote off the right arm of his throne chair. The moment the room went completely dark, the lights all turned on - probably on automatic. They turned on quickly enough for Daisuke to see Ken throw the remote against the wall near the screen, shattering it all over the ground. The Kaiser then put a hand over his face and began taking deep breaths, clearly trying to calm himself down.

Daisuke realized that he was _very much_ in the wrong place at the wrong time. If Ken saw him there he'd probably-

As Ken turned around just then and his eyes moved straight onto him, Daisuke figured it was probably a good thing that he hadn't managed to envision all the possible things that Ken might do to him in this situation.

The room suddenly felt much colder than it had just a couple seconds ago. Ken's expression wasn't that of anger, but more of a shocked confusion. Daisuke was pretty sure that would change very quickly though.

"Uh..." Daisuke tried to speak, but his voice cracked harshly. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I uh…” When he couldn’t figure out what to say to get him out of trouble, he instead just let his mouth run off with whatever came to mind. “Okay look, I only came in here because you told me you wanted me to do so and Wormmon said it was okay but that I should just give you some space so that's what I did but then you were watching something and I didn't want to bother you so I just left you alone but then I guess it was about something personal so now it looks like I was eavesdropping when I wasn't trying to do that and..." He finally took a deep breath. "... Don't kill me."

Ken hadn't moved an inch during the prisoner's rant, though his expression had slowly changed into something very unreadable. Ken was clearly no longer surprised, but he didn't exactly look angry either. He looked... emotionless. There was no expression at all, just a blank slate on the boy's face. Daisuke was pretty sure this was worse than if he'd simply been angry.

"Ah..." Daisuke looked around for an escape route. "Well, uh… I'm here for our 10am business... Whatever it is you wanted to do."

Ken continued to look at Daisuke with that same emotionless expression for a moment longer, and then he turned around suddenly and walked over to one of his keyboards. Daisuke watched silently as the Kaiser pressed keys and buttons, a bunch of strange looking codes appearing on the screen. After a minute or so he pulled the strange looking dark ring that he'd been working on out of a drawer.

The Kaiser pointed at another chair in the far corner of the room. For a second Daisuke was confused, until he realized that Ken wanted him to sit in it. He did as he was told and the moment he sat down, four metal restraints clasped themselves around his arms and ankles. He'd been expecting it though, having been through this process before.

Ken still didn't speak as he fiddled with the ring in his hand and his silence was very concerning. The Kaiser was normally so loud and full of aggression... Seeing him so introverted just didn't seem right. Was it really this upsetting for him that Daisuke had seen that report? Or was this just a lingering anger over the demands he'd forced on him?

It’s not like he’d entirely gotten his way. Yes, he'd gotten the room back, V-Mon's dark ring had been removed and they could roam the base freely. At the same time though they had trackers on, Daisuke was forced to endure being Ken's guinea pig, and if they pissed him off enough then they'd have everything taken away. In the end, Ken still had plenty of power over them. Daisuke and V-Mon could no longer produce the kind of chaos they had in the past. It was only because Ken still thought they could that they even had this much.

Ken walked over to his prisoner and stood in front of him, unclasping the ring and quickly pushing it onto his neck. He studied Daisuke for a moment, a frown appearing on his face. Daisuke didn't feel anything strange, thankfully.

"What's your name?" the Kaiser finally spoke, though his voice was just as emotionless as his face.

"Um... Motomiya Daisuke?" asked Daisuke, not sure what else he was supposed to say. The Kaiser sighed and pulled off the ring. "Was that the wrong answer?"

"Shut up." Ken didn't even look at him as he continued to fiddle with things on the ring.

"Jeez... I was just asking-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Ken screamed at the top of his lungs and threw the ring onto the floor. Daisuke winced as it shattered into pieces all over the place. Ken probably had more of them to have been willing to break it like that, but that didn't make his reaction any less shocking. "You will speak when spoken to!" Ken took a deep breath as he glared furiously at his prisoner. "If I ask you a question, you will answer it simply and then shut up. Do you understand?!"

"What the hell is your problem?!" Daisuke just couldn’t help himself, though he did regret his choice of words almost immediately.

"That was a yes or no question!" Ken yelled and grabbed Daisuke’s shirt around the collar threateningly. Daisuke glared back viciously but he said nothing more. After a while Ken took another deep breath and shoved him back against the chair. He walked over to the drawer he'd pulled the last ring out of and grabbed another one, just as Daisuke had expected.

The Kaiser pulled a cord out of the drawer and plugged it into the ring, a new screen popping up on his monitor. He edited and added some codes here and there, Daisuke having no idea what any of it meant or even what language it was in. After he was done, Ken walked back over to him and shoved the ring around his neck.

"What's your name?" Ken asked again.

"Um..." Daisuke trailed off. "I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to-"

Once again Daisuke was grabbed by the collar and yanked forward. He glared furiously up at his enemy. “How about _fuck you_ , is that better?!” Daisuke exclaimed.

"You were not spoken to!" Ken yelled down at him. "You will speak only when spoken to!"

"I _did_ speak after I was spoken to, _damn it_!" Daisuke yelled back indignantly, determined not to give in to Ken's threats.

"Ken-chan..." Wormmon's voice floated over to them. "Please... That's enough now. Just let him-" Wormmon didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before a whip slashed into his face and sent him crumpling to the floor.

"And you will not speak _at all_!" Ken hollered as Wormmon winced and tried to stand back up again.

"That's not okay!" Daisuke shouted, not caring what Ken did to him as punishment. "Wormmon didn't do anything wrong! This is between the two of us! How the hell can such nice people like your parents have created such a monster?! What would that Osamu guy think if he saw you now?!"

Daisuke knew he was probably pushing a button by mentioning that Osamu person, having figured some basics out while watching the TV report. The way Ken was acting was just infuriating though, and when Daisuke was angry he had the tendency to speak without thinking.

However, he hadn't expected to get _quite_ the level of reaction out of Ken that he was ultimately rewarded with.

Before he even had a chance to register what was going on, Ken had kicked him in the chest and sent the chair crashing onto the floor. Daisuke groaned painfully as his head hit the concrete below. He felt dizzy and his whole head ached, the room spinning around him in circles. He tried his best to push the rising nausea in his stomach back down.

"Take that back..." Ken said as he shook with rage, his head cast downward and shadowing his face as he gripped the whip in his right hand.

"Take _what_ back?!" Daisuke spat from his position on the floor, still stuck to the chair by the metal clasps. He tried to pull himself free of them, but his efforts were completely unsuccessful.

"TAKE IT BACK!" Ken screamed and the prisoner cringed in pain as the whip was sent slashing into his side, cutting through the fabric and hitting the skin underneath. "How _dare you_ claim that Osamu was better than me! He was _not_ smarter than me and I’m _not_ worthless compared to him! And how _dare you_ tarnish his pride like this?! He's a better person than you could ever dream to be!"

" _Wh-What_?!" Daisuke coughed through the pain. "I never said _any_ of-!"

Daisuke gasped as Ken grabbed him by his hair, wrenching both him and the chair back into an upright position. Daisuke tried not to, but when he was both backhanded in the face and kicked harshly in the shin by Ken's heavy duty boots, he couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"I'll give you one last chance," Ken seethed in a low voice, gripping Daisuke's hair with his gloved hand and wrenching his face upward. "Take what you said about Osamu back."

Daisuke glared up at his captor, his body aching terribly. He was too immobilized by the chair to even do anything about it though. He knew he could still fight back and defend himself like he really wanted to, but if he kept on pushing Ken's buttons like this he didn't know what he might resort to. He would probably torture or even destroy V-Mon just to prove a point, and he wasn't willing to take that chance no matter how much he hated giving in.

" _Fine_ ," Daisuke verbally spat. "Osamu is not better or smarter than you. I _didn’t_ disrespect him."

Ken removed his hand roughly from the prisoner's hair, shoved him backward in the process and nearly tipping the chair over again. He leaned his hands up against the panels along the wall, clenching his eyes shut and taking in short, shaky breaths. Tears began running down his face quickly after that, and his breathing became more strained.

Well, one thing was for sure... Ken clearly had strong emotions for his family, particularly this Osamu person. Daisuke wasn’t entirely certain, but perhaps he was his brother? Ken obviously harbored a great amount of dislike for his parents, but it seemed to be a lot more complicated with Osamu. It was strange the way he seemed to hate him one minute, and then turn around and viciously protect his honor the next.

Ken's arms shook as he tried to control himself but failed miserably. His cheeks were red and wet with tears. He removed his glasses and placed a hand over his face to try and wipe his eyes, but he began gasping into it instead. After another moment or two he fell to his knees and cried into his palms.

Daisuke was smart enough to stay very silent. Never in a thousand years had he expected to see the all-prideful Kaiser cry in front of him, and the shock of it kept his mouth shut easily. Wormmon also remained quiet from his position near the doors.

The room was still, making Ken's sobs even louder than they normally would have been. They echoed instantly in the small enclosed space, as though each once happened twice. There were always guards by the door and they never moved unless Ken instructed them to, but even they seemed confused about what to do. They remained at their post and spoke no words, but they were looking inside and awaiting their master’s orders with baited breath.

A long while passed before Ken was able to calm himself down. His sobs turned into slow, shaky breaths instead. His eyes were shut tight the entire time, and his shoulders never stopped shaking even as his crying stilled.

After nearly a minute or so, Ken finally quieted down and stood back up.

" _You_..." Ken managed to use his voice, which came out very hoarse. "I hate you, Motomiya... I loathe you…! I _despise_ you! _Guards_!"

The Gorimon and Thunderballmon at the door snapped to attention before Ken had finished saying his last word, obviously knowing this was going to happen.

"Teach him a lesson,” Ken seethed.

The Thunderballmon flew behind Daisuke’s chair and pressed the escape button on the back of it, the clasps coming undone. The Gorimon had been just about to grab him and wrench him out of it with his huge arm, when Daisuke kicked back off the floor and sent the chair crashing back into the Thunderballmon. Daisuke rolled and jumped to his feet as Thunderballmon rolled and smashed into the wall behind them.

Daisuke knew that Ken was going to have the guards beat him or something, and he wasn’t taking anymore of this crap. This was the last straw for him. He'd undoubtedly end up back in the dungeons now, but he just didn't care anymore.

Daisuke ducked around the Gorimon but found himself right beside Ken in the middle of the room, who quickly turned around to face him. There were two doors he could exit through, but the smaller back entrance was clearly locked so he’d have to leave through the main doors.

"Surround him!" Ken hollered and the guards quickly made their way over.

To his right were the control panels and to his left was the Gorimon. Just behind him was Thunderballmon and directly in front of him was Ken, with the main exit just beyond him. Daisuke struggled to find a way out of this. He needed to get past one of them to escape, but if he moved then he knew they’d all jump together.

"Restrain him!" Ken hollered once again.

As Gorimon lunged forward and the sound of Thunderballmon charging up a bunch of electricity came from right behind him, Daisuke did the only thing he could think of and dove beneath the control panel instead. There was a bright flash of light just as he made it beneath, but he didn’t wait. Daisuke quickly crawled out a few feet away and then bolted toward the door.

Daisuke had expected to hear Gorimon’s massive footsteps following closely behind him, but instead what he heard was a blood curdling scream that immediately sent shivers up his spine. He stopped in his tracks and spun around, his eyes immediately going wide with shock.

The Thunderballmon had clearly tried to send a paralyzing shock at him, but at the last second Daisuke had jumped down to the floor. The attack had continued along its path and hit Ken instead, who had been on the other side of him.

Ken clutched at the back of his neck, his entire body shaking violently as he tried to stay standing. All thoughts of escape left Daisuke’s mind as he watched Ken quickly collapse to his knees and scream in agony, electric sparks spreading throughout his body.

It was then that Daisuke noticed a bright red glowing spot on the back of Ken’s neck, located right between his fingers.

"What did you do to him?!" Wormmon demanded at the Thunderballmon as he ran over.

"This shouldn't be happening!" Thunderballmon exclaimed, looking just as shocked as everyone else. "It was just supposed to be a small paralysis!"

Ken shivered and screamed again as the red glow burned brighter. It was as though something inside his neck was trying to melt his skin off! He clutched and clawed at it, and the electric tendrils around him began to warp and move upward, all gathering together at his neck. Shocks and sparks flared from the red glowing spot. The tendrils had been an electric yellow before, but were now a fierce white.

Then suddenly, just as quickly as it had all started, it was over. The sparks stopped, the electricity seemed to vanish, the red glow had dimmed and disappeared, and Ken's screams fell silent. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell limp to the floor.

Silence filled the room as all four stared down at the Kaiser lying completely motionless and not breathing. Even Daisuke, who could have escaped multiple times over by now was left frozen. They all waited for Ken to stand up in a furious rage and scream at everyone, but nothing happened.

Was he... dead? But... But he didn't want Ken to _die_! He hated him, sure, and it was true that he didn't want to stay locked up in the base like this, but to have Ken just drop dead right in front of him… That’s not what he wanted. He still needed to find out if Ken was human or not!

There was a terrible pain growing quickly in his chest as Daisuke ran over to the other boy. Memories of what the strange object in the generator room had tried to tell him filled his mind as he leaned down and shook Ken roughly. "Ken?! Hey, wake up!"

"Get the medical team!" Wormmon ordered at Thunderballmon, who nodded and quickly flew out of the room. Daisuke looked down at Ken’s fragile form and felt sick to his stomach.

"C-Come on, wake up!" Daisuke shook Ken again with both hands gripping his shoulders, but the unconscious boy didn't react at all.

Daisuke then tried the only other thing he could think of to get him breathing again - CPR. He'd taken a health class in school recently that taught him the basics, and although he hadn't passed it with perfect scores by any means, he could still remember the gist of it. He could probably perform it a lot better than any of the digimon in the base anyway.

Without a second thought he plugged Ken's nose and pushed air into his mouth with his own. After that he sat up and pressed his fists firmly down against Ken’s chest. He repeated this process a few times but got no reaction. He tried breathing harder into him to force more air inside, but he really couldn't press any harder on his chest or he might break one of Ken’s ribs.

"Hey, do you hear me?!" Daisuke exclaimed loudly as he pushed a few more times on his chest. "You're not dying here! Not like this! You're way too proud to die on a dirty floor, so _wake up_!"

With one more firm push, Ken coughed hoarsely and blood gathered on the edges of his lips. Daisuke sat him up quickly and leaned him over so he could cough up the bodily fluid before he gagged. Blood stained the floor in many places, but Ken was able to breathe.

Ken looked up slowly and his exhausted eyes met with his prisoner's. Daisuke was immediately confused by the wave of relief that washed over him. Ken had a dazed look on his face, but somewhere in it was a mix of confusion as well.

"... You… Why...?" Ken managed to get out in the same hoarse voice, but before Daisuke could even begin to think of a reply there was a sudden rush of digimon dressed in medical aprons that came into the room. A few of them carefully picked Ken up and laid him down on the stretcher that they'd brought with them. Once he was secured, they pushed it quickly out of the Control Room. Daisuke watched them leave, not sure what to make of his feelings anymore. Ken had asked a good question... Why? Why had he saved him?

_'I should have hated you and just let you die,_ ' Daisuke thought to himself, staring at his hands. _'After what you just did to me and what you've done to this world... but I...'_

Daisuke felt his breath catch in his throat as he realized, for the first time since entering the Digital World, that he couldn't just go back and try again if things went wrong. He'd always known that, but he'd never really... _known_ it.

In his video games at home he didn't have to care about why the villain was evil or what his past was. As long as he could get the experience points and the loot, then he was perfectly content. In story books he knew that the good guys would come out on top somehow, and even if they didn't, the sad ending didn't _really_ happen. It was just a story. But _this_ was real, and if he messed up then it was permanent.

It had all seemed so fun before, like one big exciting adventure. It had never occurred to him that even though it would be terribly unfair, someone could actually get killed during all of this, and one of those people could even be Ken. Hell, it could be _him_ , or Hikari, or any of the others. What would happen to a human if they died in the Digital World? Would their soul be able to move on to the afterlife or would it be lost forever?

_'I can't undo your death...'_ Daisuke thought slowly, still staring down at his hands on the floor.

He'd always considered himself to be the one that was most willing to get his hands dirty if it meant getting the job done, but did he really have the guts to do it? In reality it was probably best for the Digital World if Ken died. There would be no more evil trying to destroy it and everyone would be safe.

But somehow Daisuke just wasn't okay with that. He really didn't know a thing about Ken. Who was Osamu? He was his brother perhaps, but who was he to Ken? Or his parents... Why did he hate them? Had Ken always been this spiteful or had he been an innocent kid at one point? When had Ken first come to the Digital World? What gave him the idea that it was okay to hurt digimon?

One thing was for sure - after seeing the way Ken had reacted to Osamu, he was positive that Ken did have humanity and feelings. He was human, and he could care about others and experience kindness. It was just very selective. Perhaps there was just something wrong with him? Maybe something had happened, or was still happening, to make him this way. A misunderstanding, perhaps?

Maybe what that weird power source thing had been trying to communicate to him was that he needed to find out more about Ken. The day might come where the Kaiser had to die in order to protect the many, but if Daisuke didn’t even at least _try_ to stop him first and then later he found out he’d been wrong... He didn't think he could live with himself.


	6. Awkward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

A soft beeping sound floated down the hall. Digimon scurried in and out of the medical ward with various equipment in their hands. Instructions were shouted at one another through the doorway as Daisuke made his way back in with the towels he’d been asked to retrieve.

No one noticed or acknowledged him as he entered the medical room other than an Ogremon, who snatched the towels out of his hands and quickly dipped them into the cool water in the sink. The Ogremon rang them out and placed a couple of them over Ken’s forehead.

It was so strange to see Ken there, stripped of his flashy garments and re-dressed in a simple white robe. His face was sickly pale, sweat clung to his skin, and his hair was actually straight. He’d apparently been given something to knock him out once he was wheeled into the room. They seemed to be done with most of the medical procedures though, and were now just letting him rest.

Daisuke had been planning exactly what he wanted to tell Ken when he woke up for a few hours now, but to be honest he knew himself better than that. The moment Ken actually regained consciousness he would forget everything he'd intended to say.

"... made Thunderballmon's attack overreact?" Kiwimon's voice caught Daisuke’s attention.

"I’m still investigating," Wormmon replied back in a hushed voice. "I'll check it out with Andromon, maybe he'll know more."

"We could just ask that other human," Kiwimon glanced over at Daisuke. "Maybe he'll know something about that weird thing in his neck-"

"No," Wormmon hushed Kiwimon with an odd expression on his face, clearly trying to hide something. "I want to examine it myself first."

"I guess… I just think we should-" Kiwimon was cut off when the rest of the digimon in the ward suddenly rushed over to Ken's bedside. Daisuke was able to see over most of their heads as the Kaiser’s eyes slowly opened. A groan escaped his lips and his eyes clenched shut almost immediately.

Ken hissed in pain as his arms moved up to clutch at his forehead. The swarm of digimon began accosting him with questions all at the same time. The more of them that spoke, the louder they all had to be in order to be heard. They were all so busy trying to outdo each other that they didn't seem to notice the way Ken was wincing in pain.

"HEY!" Daisuke yelled as loudly as he could, silencing everyone in the room. He lowered his voice once he had their attention. "You're just making his headache worse..."

Ken dared a glance over at Daisuke for a split second before wincing again and covering his eyes with his arm. Daisuke sighed and went to go dim the lights.

"Everyone out!" Wormmon urged everyone as quietly as he could and shooed all of the other digimon out of the room, except for the very tall Ogremon.

Daisuke sat down in the chair beside Ken’s bed and fiddled with his thumbs, having no idea what to do or say now that he was there. Yep, this was _exactly_ why he didn’t plan anything in advance anymore.

It was then that he realized Ken was staring at him, and probably had been since he'd sat down.

"Uh... yeah?" Daisuke raised an eyebrow.

Ken seemed to struggle to find the right words for a moment. "You make no sense," he finally managed to get out with a frown on his face. "You _never_ make sense. I don’t even know what to say to you."

"Yeah, well… Same to you," Daisuke sighed, leaning his chair back on its hind legs and propping the back up against the wall. "I haven’t understood you since day one."

"What's not to understand about me?" Ken frowned in confusion. "I'm taking over the Digital World. That's a very simple concept to grasp."

"Oh I understand _what_ you're doing," Daisuke said, now the one with a frown. "It’s the _why_ that doesn’t add up. I mean, it’s like you don't care about anything at all. Where do you think you’re gonna go once this world is destroyed, huh? Back to the real world that you clearly hate? Or would you rather curl up in some rubble all alone out _here_ instead?"

Ken scoffed and sat up slowly in the bed. "All that talk and yet you didn't just let me die on the floor like you should have. You went to the effort of shutting everyone up and dimming the lights for me, only to now start complaining about what I’m doing? Either hate me or don't. This back and forth nonsense is making my head hurt even more."

"You want me to hate you?" Daisuke asked and looked at Ken again, though the Kaiser didn’t look back at him. "Is that your goal here, to be despised by everyone?"

"I don't care what anyone thinks of me," Ken rolled his eyes. "You can hate me or not, it makes no difference either way."

"Bullshit."

"What?" Ken glared at Daisuke.

"I said _bullshit_ ,” Daisuke looked his enemy straight in the eye, a similar glare on his face now. He emphasized his feelings by putting the chair back on all four legs with a loud ‘ _clank_.’ "You’re obviously capable of having feelings, I don’t care how hard you try to hide it. So _what,_ then? What do the digimon have to do to be ‘worthy’ enough for you? What do I have to do? What does _anyone_ have to do to be treated like they’re real?"

Ken frowned, clearly pondering something over in his mind. He seemed a bit distant actually, now that Daisuke was paying more attention. Maybe Ken had been given more painkillers than he’d originally realized. "Well," Ken began eventually. "You're real. You're certainly not worthy, but at least you're real."

"Real enough to beat the shit out of?" Daisuke muttered before he could stop himself, but he decided to just roll with it once the comment had already been made. "We’ve tried to tell you this a _thousand times_ already! Digimon _are real_!"

"I refuse to have this discussion with you." Ken stiffened up and faced forward at the opposite wall.

Daisuke looked at him for a while in hopes that he might say more, but eventually he gave up and sighed. "Fine, whatever."

The room fell into an awkward silence. Ken didn’t really seem angry, which was what Daisuke would have expected from him in a situation like this. It was more like he was trying to figure something out for himself but was having a hard time.

"So why did you help me?" Ken eventually asked.

Daisuke leaned back in the chair again. He couldn't help smirking a bit despite his best efforts not to. "I thought you didn’t care what a 'lowly insect' like me thought."

"Quit avoiding everything I say!" Ken snapped irritably as he turned to glare at him again. "Just answer the question!"

Daisuke rolled his eyes. “You never really answer any of _my_ questions, so why should I answer yours? Maybe you need a taste of your own medicine for once.”

" _Look_ ," Ken growled. " _You’re_ the one who did this. You didn’t have to help me, but you did. You're just too damned confusing to figure out on my own! It made _sense_ for you to hate me and to want me to die. That’s how an enemy should act. But then you went and did all of this instead! So if you’re gonna do this kind of crap, then you can at least explain yourself afterword."

"You said that nothing I did made sense anyway because I was _stupid_ and a _lowly worm_ ," Daisuke emphasized the insults. "So if I’ll always just be _too dumb_ to understand anything then why should I tell you? Maybe I _like_ making you so mad."

Ken clenched his fists and raised his voice, "I know you’re up to something! You’ve got a plan worked out, don’t you?! No one ever helps me without an ulterior motive, not even my own _parents_ would-!” Ken closed his eyes and shook his head, seeming to realize that he’d said too much. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Just answer the question."

Daisuke was quiet for a bit. Was it true that Ken’s parents only cared about him when it benefited them to do so? He seriously doubted it, based on the genuine grief he’d seen in his mother’s eyes during that TV interview. At the same time though, it was very clear that Ken truly believed that of them.

Suddenly Daisuke felt sad. What was it like to think that no one actually cared about you? Not even his own parents? Did Ken think they were all just using him for fame and money or something? There was no way he’d be able to ask Ken where those feelings were coming from though, not with how angry and stubborn he was. Unless...

"If you tell me why you think everyone hates you, I’ll tell you why I saved you.”

Ken stiffened up immediately. " _Excuse_ me?"

"You heard me!" Daisuke stood his ground. "Answer my question first and then I’ll answer yours."

"Absolutely not!" Ken snapped angrily and shook his head in frustration. “I’m not dumb enough to tell you my _life story_ over this!”

"Oh yeah?!" Daisuke felt his anger spiking suddenly. He was so sick of Ken’s attitude! He didn’t deserve to be looked down on like this! “Well your life story is _stupid_!”

“Really?” Ken blinked. “That was the _best response_ you could come up with?”

“Yes!” Daisuke crossed his arms and flopped back in his chair. “That was in fact _the best response_ I could come up with, so _fuck you_!”

The room fell silent. Ogremon and Wormmon looked at each other nervously. Much to everyone’s surprise though, Ken started to chuckle. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands to try and suppress the giggles, but his efforts were in vain. Soon enough he’d moved his hands up to cover his face in humiliation as he cracked up.

"Are you high?" Daisuke asked with wide eyes, which only appeared to make it worse as Ken's laughter suddenly got louder. Daisuke raised an eyebrow in speechless confusion.

Ken’s laughter ceased eventually, but his face didn’t seem to turn any less red. Seeing the Kaiser in such a ridiculous state was extremely weird, but it was also kind of refreshing.

"I hate you," Ken said suddenly, and Daisuke couldn't help but laugh at it. Everything about him was pouty; his voice sounded whiney and the expression on his face didn't help either. It was so silly that it was almost cute...

"And while we’re at it," Ken continued, this time with a much firmer voice. " _Get out_."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," Daisuke said and shook his head, standing up and heading for the hallway. He was too confused now to continue that conversation anymore anyway.

Ken _had_ to have been given too many painkillers or something, that was the only logical explanation. The Kaiser would never laugh at anything that wasn’t evil and terrible, especially not over some stupid, last-ditch remark of Daisuke’s like that. And yet he had...

Why couldn't Ken be like that all the time? Daisuke would definitely take that Ken over the crazed sociopath he had to deal with normally. Maybe it wasn’t the painkillers. Maybe Ken just needed to relax or something. He’d been able to sleep pretty well in the hospital room while the digimon had cared for him. Did Ken normally sleep enough or did he just work all night?

Well, whatever the case, he definitely wasn’t letting Ken live that one down anytime soon.

********************

"I bet he's torturing him right now..." Iori growled, striking downward with his Kendo sword.

"Is Koushiro here yet?" Mimi grumbled and looked out the window for the third time in five minutes. A gate had been open in New York, so she’d met up with Taichi and Hikari in the Digital World so that she could go back to their place with them. She couldn’t always help because of the time difference, but anytime she could she jumped on the opportunity.

Hikari sighed. She didn’t blame the group for being down, but she was also of the opinion that they could at least _try_ to be optimistic. Not that saying so would help at all.

They had all met up at the Yagami household to discuss a plan with Koushiro. He'd arranged the meeting himself a few nights ago, and now that very person was holding everyone up. She could only assume he had a good reason for being late, but she really hoped he’d hurry - especially after Iori’s last remark.

If Hikari was being honest with herself, this whole incident had really shaken her. Ken’s actions had showed her just how little he cared about life in general. She’d been willing to consider that he just didn't understand digimon were real, but he knew full well that Daisuke was a human being.

Hikari didn't know how to confront an enemy like this. She hadn't known how to confront them in the past either, but at least back then she wasn’t expected to lead the group. Her brother had always been there for that, and then Daisuke afterward. But now Daisuke was gone and it was up to her and Takeru to hold the most influence over the younger Chosen. Could she do what was necessary? Would she actually be able to kill Ken, another human being, if it had to be done to save Daisuke’s life?

Hikari just wanted to crawl into a hole sometimes...

"There he is!" Miyako cheered and went to unlock the front door. Koushiro walked inside a moment later and smiled at everyone, which helped Hikari feel a bit better at least.

"Hey, sorry I'm late!"Koushiro bowed apologetically. "College is very strict and I couldn’t get out of class when I had expected."

"It's fine, let’s just start," Yamato offered and the rest of the group nodded. Koushiro sat down and pulled his laptop out of his bag. He hooked it up as quickly as he could and then turned the screen to face everyone in the room.

"This is a map of the Digital World," Koushiro began, though most of them had seen it before. The description was more for Iori and Miyako’s sake. "I've been doing a lot of thinking on the way Ken fights and behaves, and I think I've come up with a way to trap him."

"Trap him?" Sora frowned. "You mean like capture him, or just fight him?"

"Well I’m sure we’ll have to fight, but the goal is to capture him, yes," Koushiro pushed a button on his keyboard. Many of the squares on the map went black, and Hikari recognized it as a grid showing the areas which Ken currently controlled.

"While he's not going in any particular pattern..." Koushiro continued as he pointed around the screen, "We know he’ll only be traveling to the white areas to try and conquer them. He seems to be gradually heading west, and I think he's the type of person to take on the biggest challenges himself. He’ll let his slaves handle the smaller areas."

"We should clear an area right in the middle of the sea of black, like we're challenging him," Taichi suggested and a few others nodded at the idea.

"I don't believe that would work," Koushiro shook his head. "Ken is very confrontational, but at the same time he has an entire army on his side. He would most likely just send slaves from the surrounding areas to deal with it rather than travelling all the way there himself. He might be power crazed, but he's also practical. I think he values his time a lot."

"That's... a good point," Taichi frowned. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Of the areas that are left," Koushiro pointed to a specific area on the map this time, "I've determined that _this_ region here would be the most beneficial for him to conquer. It has a lot of natural resources and it’s well defended because of the high mountains around it. We’d have a hard time getting there, so he would benefit greatly from securing it. He would probably want that area enough to challenge us personally for it."

"A mountain range would be great for setting up a trap," Takeru nodded from Koushiro's right side and Hikari felt his hand squeeze hers gently. She realized that she'd probably had a sad look on her face, and that he was trying to cheer her up. Sometimes it was so hard to be the light of the group… It made her feel overwhelmed - like everyone expected her to be perfect when she wasn’t. Takeru always seemed to know how to get her to smile, though.

"There are plenty of blind spots we could booby-trap,” Takeru continued. “If we can get him down fast enough then he won't have the time to put up a dark tower. That way everyone could fight."

"So we take him by surprise before he can cripple us older guys!" Jyou nodded excitedly.

"How long until you think Ken will reach that area?" Iori asked.

"Hmm..." Koushiro pondered for a moment. "There's really no way to know that yet, but I should be able to study his path a little longer and have an estimate for you soon. It definitely won’t be for a few days at least."

"Then we should start setting up the trap right away!" Mimi exclaimed, and the group immediately started discussing ideas on exact what sort of trap they would use.

Hikari smiled at first, but she felt it fall a few moments later. As happy as it made her to see things going in their favor for once, she couldn’t quite shake the uneasy feeling that something was going to go very wrong, very soon.

********************

The Kaiser swallowed hard, glaring fiercely at the door in front of him. His arms were crossed and his eyes were narrowed. He tapped his foot and focused his gaze on the spot directly in front of him. There was no reason why he should feel nervous or unwilling to knock on a door - a door in _his own base_ , even. He had built this entire place all on his own, so it was his _right_ to be able to go into any room at any time, and without reason!

The Kaiser raised his fist for the third time now. His knuckles nearly made contact with the door this time, but just like before he froze up and pulled away at the last second. Ken growled and sighed deeply, a curse escaping his lips just a few seconds later. This was shameful...

Suddenly the door flew open and Ken froze. Motomiya stood before him, though he didn't seem at all surprised to see him there.

"What?!" Ken snapped angrily, though he wasn’t really sure why he was mad.

"Uh… That’s what I was gonna ask _you_ ," Motomiya replied with a raised eyebrow as he leaned against the door frame. "You've been out there for like, five minutes now."

"H-How did you know that?" Ken sputtered as a strange warmth crept up his cheeks.

"You know there’s a shadow under the door when you pace in front of it… right?” Motomiya smirked a bit. “At first I thought maybe you were a guard, but then you started cursing and I recognized your voice. I figured I'd wait and see what you did but nothing ever happened, so..."

Ken tried to say something but his voice caught in his windpipe. He shook his head and cleared his throat. He just needed to hurry up and get this over with... "Well, anyway!" Ken managed to get out after a moment as he tried to make his voice sound unaffected. "There's something I want to discuss with you."

"Alright," Motomiya seemed a little on guard and it angered Ken to realize that he honestly felt the same way. Why should he have to feel nervous around this fool?! Motomiya was just a pitiful prisoner, he meant nothing to him! And yet Ken felt awkward…. This was unacceptable!

"Earlier in the hospital wing,” Ken began with a lot more confidence in his voice than he actually felt. "I just wanted to make it clear that I was very much incapacitated on pain killers, and therefore I was not in my correct frame of mind. Any strange behavior on my part meant absolutely nothing. You are not funny, not even to a _miniscule_ degree, so all of my actions during that time are invalid."

"I see," Motomiya replied, but his facial expression was terrifyingly unreadable to the Kaiser.

"S-So anyway," Ken continued, once again feeling that awkwardness creeping into his chest. It was foreign and strange, and very much unwelcome. He hadn’t felt this way since he was a little kid, though that time of his life was hard to remember now. "Just don't let anything go to your head. That absolutely dimwitted remark of yours was just as intellectually lacking as _you_ are, and I would never laugh at it under normal circumstances. So we will continue on from this point as though you never said it. Do you understand?"

"So..." Motomiya trailed off for a moment. "You want me to pretend that you didn't laugh at my stupid comment because the fact that you _did_ laugh at it makes you feel awkward and embarrassed?"

"I...!" Ken sputtered furiously, unintentionally taking a step back. "Of course not you _fool_!" He shook his head and stepped forward again, refusing to back away from his enemies. "I am informing you that since I wasn't myself at that time, anything I did or said was-"

"Oh my god just _stop_ ," Motomiya suddenly broke out into a huge grin. "You have a nice laugh when you’re not cackling like a psychopath. It was kinda cute! No need to freak out over it."

Ken blinked repeatedly as a horrified shock overtook him. He couldn't _possibly_ have heard that right. If he was correct, and he was _always_ correct, then this pathetic _roach_ had just described his laugh as…!

"Do you _want_ to die?!" Ken felt his cheeks burn hotter.

"Hey, I'm not the one pacing outside your door for five minutes!" Motomiya laughed and put his hands up in mock-surrender. “It’s okay to laugh, you know.”

Ken growled furiously, turning away from Motomiya to take a deep breath with his back to the other boy. He just needed to calm down... The fool was _clearly_ trying to push his buttons. He just wanted to create an effect, but Ken wasn't going to let him win. Motomiya had been playing games with him since the moment he'd set foot in the base and it just got worse every day!

Everything around him was so stupid, including the horrible conversation that had just taken place! Why was he wasting his time talking to this imbecile anyway? What constructive remarks or thought processes could Motomiya even provide? _Nothing_ , that’s what! Ken had dark rings to work on, digimon to enslave, areas to conquer, and...! And this was _stupid_!

" _Listen_ ," Ken turned around with his face dead serious. "Don't bring this topic up ever again. That's not a request, it's an _order_. Do you understand?"

"Yes, _sir_!" Motomiya smirked and gave a sarcastic salute.

Ken had to hold back the desire to smash the nearest object in sight. Why was he smirking?! He hadn't won an argument! There hadn’t even _been_ one! Even if Ken had blushed a little bit - _which_ , while he was on that topic, was _not_ due to embarrassment - it didn’t mean anything! The hallway was very hot! Or… Or he could have easily been having an allergic reaction to the painkillers! There had to be a logical explanation-

"-and there is absolutely _nothing cute_ about my laugh!” Ken found himself shouting suddenly.

Motomiya was actually covering his mouth with a hand and appeared to be trying not to laugh. "Allergic to the painkillers…” Motomiya cleared his throat. “It’s called a _blush_ , Ken."

The Kaiser felt a terrible fear seep into his chest. Had he just said all of that _out loud_? No way... He hadn't... He _couldn't_ have…! He would _never_ have said all of that to his prisoner no matter how angry he was! He was in total control of his actions at all times!

_'TAKE IT BACK!'_

_'You're real. You're certainly not worthy, but at least you're real.’_

_‘Real enough to beat the shit out of?’_

Ken closed his eyes tightly and turned around, trying to shut off the memories. He shook his head, which seemed to help clear his thoughts. After taking a long, slow breath, he removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. He really needed to get some more sleep…. He must have been a lot more tired than he’d originally thought. Perhaps Wormmon’s insufferable concerns were right for once.

"You okay?" Motomiya asked after a few moments of silence.

“I’m _fine_ ,” Ken growled and didn’t turn around to face him. Why was it so hard to get himself under control all of a sudden? He normally had a lot more composure than this.

"Alright…” Motomiya’s tone made it pretty obvious that he didn’t believe him, but the worst part was the hint of actual concern that lingered in his voice. Ken wanted to demand that Motomiya rid any strange emotions from his pitiful mind, but he already knew that was just a failure waiting to happen.

Without another word or even a glance back, Ken walked back down the hallway that he’d come from. He was done. Clearly he was not going to get anywhere with Motomiya on this matter.


	7. Perception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

Ken was furious, and for once it wasn't at Motomiya. It was rare that he couldn't find a way to blame someone else for his failures, but he simply had to face it this time... He'd messed up.

How had he failed to notice something so obvious? After all the time and effort he'd put into the Bio Ring, not once had it even crossed his mind that the human host was still real while in the Digital World. Sure, their bodies were converted into data upon traveling through the gate, but that didn't mean there weren’t still traces of organic matter. Injuries, changes to the body, any sort of physical differences were carried back over to the real world, so there had to be _some_ portion of them that was still alive.

All this time he had been using the same programming as the dark rings that he used on digimon, and that had been his mistake. He couldn't use those codes because humans weren't digimon, and digimon weren't real.

Of course this meant he would be starting over from scratch and dealing with all the debugging that went along with it. Then of course there was Motomiya who would crack jokes, mess around, insult him, waste his time and make his day as miserable as possible during testing.

Huh… Apparently there _was_ a portion of his anger that could still be directed at Motomiya. Excellent!

The Kaiser groaned. When had he gotten such a bad headache? Had it been there the entire time, or was it just now starting up? While he was at it, when had his stomach started aching so much? It felt like someone had punched him really hard in the gut or something...

"Master, are you okay?" Wormmon's voice floated over to him, the nervous undertones quite noticeable.

"I'm fine," Ken lied as he moved his hands up to rub at his temples.

"When was the last time you ate?"

Ken disliked Wormmon’s question, but he couldn’t help thinking about it now that he’d been asked. It was currently around lunch time, but he hadn't eaten anything yet because he'd been too worried about the Bio Ring. He'd been focused on it the previous day as well, and hadn’t eaten anything other than breakfast. So it had been about twenty four hours now since his last meal.

Suddenly Ken realized that he'd never even bothered to spike his hair that morning. He hadn't even brushed it yet. It was all tangled like he’d just gotten out of bed, which was basically what happened. All he’d actually done after waking up was clean his teeth real quick and then rush over to the control room to get working. He was still in his yellow pajamas, even...

Maybe he really did need to eat something...

"Well I ate breakfast yesterday, and _don’t start_ , I _know_ how long ago that was!" Ken shouted before the worm could even attempt to scold him. "I'm going!"

The Kaiser stomped past Wormmon and out into the hallway toward the kitchen. He honestly hated eating. It was such a waste of time! He had things he needed to be doing that were far more important than shoving a sandwich in his face! He didn't get hungry very often anyway, just once a day or so. He'd usually eat a second meal regardless, but lately it just hadn't crossed his mind.

Oh well, at least the kitchen was only a few doors down from the control room. He’d just go in and grab a box of crackers or something, and then he’d get back to what he was-

The moment the doors opened and he walked inside, Ken felt his anger coming back full force. "Why are you _everywhere_ I go?!"

Motomiya sighed without looking away from the food he was cooking on the stove. " _Well_ ," he began as he continued to pay close attention to his eggs. "I was minding my own business in the Digital World one day when _suddenly!_ \- ” Motomiya flashed his free hand out to the side in a mock-dramatic fashion. “ - Out of _nowhere_ came a crazed jerk in a _cape_! He beat me up, dragged me to his base, and only _now_ is he realizing just how much he dislikes me! But wait, _there’s more_!” He pointed a dramatic finger up at the ceiling. “He _could_ just let me go, but instead he chose to put me in a bedroom _right next_ to his control room! Now he complains about seeing me so much... Don’t you just feel _bad_ for him?"

Ken snorted from the doorway. Everything about that rant had been just so... _Daisuke_. He considered backing out now while he still had the chance, especially since he wasn’t even in his uniform yet. However, when a terrible pain twisted around in his stomach, he knew he’d just have to deal with it.

Besides, he didn’t _care_ about Motomiya’s stupid opinion anyway.

With a wince, Ken walked over to the table in the center of the room and sat down. He laid his head down on top of his arms a moment later, unable to stop himself from groaning as his whole body started to ache. He'd gone a day without food many times in his life, but it had never made him feel this bad before.

Suddenly there was a clank on the tabletop and he sat up, surprised to see Motomiya setting a plate down in front of him.

"You look as terrible as your personality. Have some food."

"... _Thanks_ ," Ken replied sarcastically, eying the eggs, bacon and toast with strong suspicion. "Why are you eating Western breakfast at lunch time?"

"I like it," Motomiya replied as he went back to the stove to continue cooking. "... And I _may_ have only just now woken up, so hey, breakfast food!"

"Why should I trust anything you've made?" Ken eyed the boy suspiciously. Did Motomiya _actually_ think he wouldn’t be suspicious of being poisoned? He wasn’t stupid like-!

Motomiya walked over to the table, grabbed the fork off the plate and stabbed a piece of scrambled egg and a slice of bacon with it. He ate the food off the utensil and then took a bite of the toast, tossing it back down onto the plate along with the fork. Ken glared at the food as he walked away.

"If you think I'm going to use your-" Ken didn't get a chance to finish his complaint before a new fork was tossed onto the table. Ken sighed and gave up, too hungry to resist anymore. Curse him for making food that smelled so good...

Silence fell between them as Ken slowly ate, Daisuke quickly making himself a new breakfast. Under normal circumstances he would have _never_ allowed himself to eat in the presence of a slave, but he just didn't have the energy to care about it. His body felt like lead.

Ken was about halfway done with his meal when Daisuke sat down across from him at the table and reached over to snatch up the fork he'd previously used, which Ken had left forgotten nearby.

They ate quietly, Daisuke going at a much faster pace. Disgusting… Why would anyone shove their food into their mouth like that? He _supposed_ Daisuke's cooking had actually turned out very good, as much as he wanted to deny it. He didn’t eat Western breakfast food very often due to the high calorie count, but every once in awhile wasn’t so bad. It was a refreshing change from the horrible replicators at the very least. He would _never_ admit that out loud, of course.

"Wow..." Daisuke trailed off after a bit. "I need to _not_ let V-Mon help me cook more often! Nothing came out burnt this time!"

"Where _is_ V-Mon?" Ken asked, concerned when he suddenly realized that Daisuke’s partner was indeed not present.

"He went to the bathroom to wash up after eating," Daisuke replied, munching on a piece of bacon. "He was done before I even finished making mine! Well, _yours_ , I guess."

"Great, he's probably breaking something..." Ken seethed cynically.

"Oh _whatever_ ," Daisuke groaned, waving his fork at him. "You just love to find something to be mad about, don't you? It's nothing but whine, whine, whine-"

Daisuke cut himself off and looked at Ken, his eyes traveling up and down. He frowned and got up to walk over to the refrigerator, pulling out a jug of water and pouring two glasses. He brought them over to the table with him and placed the larger one down in front of Ken.

"Why did you do that?" Ken asked, blinking at the random gesture.

"You’re paler than normal. I thought maybe some water would help," Daisuke shrugged and then took another bite of his food. "What's up with you anyway? Why are you so...?" Daisuke used his fork to motion up and down, referencing to Ken in general.

"What do _you_ care?!" Ken snapped immediately. He _hated_  all these questions!

"Ah, you're in one of _those_ moods," Daisuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, screw yourself and go die. Is that better?"

" _Yes_ , actually..." Ken muttered and picked at his food a bit. Daisuke merely chuckled and continued to eat, not bothering to respond. Ken quickly found himself irritated at the other boy’s meddling though. "For your information I’m _fine_. I just haven’t eaten in awhile, that’s all. Not since breakfast… yesterday."

Daisuke didn’t acknowledge him at first, until the last bit of Ken’s sentence. "Y-Yesterday?" Daisuke coughed and raised his eyebrows. "You mean like, you haven't eaten in a _whole day_?"

"Unlike _you_ , I don't need to be shoving something down my throat every hour to survive!" Ken glared, not wanting to deal with this conversation anymore. Why had he even said anything? He really should have seen this coming. And while he was at it… “Why are you looking at me like that?”

"Uh..." Daisuke trailed off and laughed awkwardly. "What you said was… you know..."

"Was _what_?" Ken snapped.

"Shoving something down my throat every hour? I mean…” Daisuke laughed again and shook his head. “It sounded pretty bad.”

Ken stared blankly at his prisoner, no longer certain of what they were even talking about. Daisuke seemed to be waiting for some kind of reaction and Ken had no idea what it was. After a good amount of time had passed by, Daisuke seemed to realize just how lost Ken was.

" _Wow,_ you’re sheltered!" Daisuke suddenly started cracking up.

“What? How am I _sheltered_?" Ken frowned at the sheer incorrectness of the statement. He’d been called many things over the years, but… sheltered? “I ran away from home to live in a base that I built by myself in a digital world filled with monsters and-"

Ken put his hands over his face in horror when he finally got the joke.

"Oh you're just so _proud_ , aren't you?" Daisuke teased. "You too _high and mighty_ for a little joke?"

"Like _you_ aren't proud!" Ken dropped his hands in disbelief.

"Hey _asshole_ ," Daisuke pointed the fork at his enemy again. "I got down on my hands and knees and _begged_. Unlike you, I actually _can_ put my shame aside for someone else!"

Ken scoffed. "That was probably the best thing I’ve ever done, and somewhere in that pea-sized brain of yours, you know it was too."

"Is that so?" Daisuke raised an eyebrow a little and smirked.

"What are you going on about now?" Ken glared across the table at his prisoner. What a complete moron... Was this some kind of joke again? Why was he smirking like a fool? “Since you _clearly_ didn't understand, I was saying that it was satisfying to see you bow down like a worm.”

"So it’s _satisfying_ to have me down on my knees in front of you?" Daisuke was clearly trying to keep himself from laughing, but he lost his composure within seconds. What was his damned problem now?!

… Oh.

Ken was speechless as Daisuke started cracking up at yet another disgusting joke. He wasn’t even mad this time. It was as if Daisuke’s childish comment had been so mind-numbingly stupid that it had wiped his mind entirely. All he could do was shake his head and sigh.

"Y-You should've..." Daisuke managed to say through his bouts of laughter. "You should’ve seen _your face_!"

Ken was just so tired of being the one shocked by Daisuke’s stupidity. Just _one time_ he wanted to wipe that horrible smirk off his face! He was so sick of it he could just… He could just…!

“It would have been more satisfying if you’d actually done it.”

Ken put his face in his hands in shame, regretting his words the moment they left his mouth. Nope, it hadn’t been worth it. He didn’t even care if it gave him the reaction he’d wanted. His prisoner could shut up _permanently_ and it still wouldn’t be worth sinking down to this level.

“... Wh-What?!” Daisuke exclaimed and stared at him incredulously. Ken watched him between the fingers he’d placed over his eyes and the hair he’d purposely let fall down in front of his face.

"I’m done," The Kaiser stood up and shoved the chair back under the table, unable to stand this conversation anymore. He was surprised he’d even lasted _this_ long. However, as soon as he reached the kitchen doors they burst open all on their own. A soaking wet V-Mon came running into the room with a sheepish expression on his face, effectively wiping the previous incident right out of Ken’s mind.

"Um…” V-Mon stuttered when he realized that Ken was there. “I-I… Uh...”

“What did you do?” Ken crossed his arms. Before he could say anything else though, Daisuke had run over and crouched down in front of his partner protectively.

“What’s up?” Daisuke asked quietly, though Ken could still hear their conversation. If that fool thought he was going to keep V-Mon from getting into trouble for whatever he’d obviously broken, then he’d have a very upsetting realization in a few seconds.

“The faucet in the bathroom…” V-Mon looked between the two humans awkwardly. “It won’t turn off anymore and it's filling up the sink. Wormmon tried to fix it for me, but he only made it worse and fell in... He told me to go get someone with bigger hands."

Ken found himself laughing against his will. Somehow trying to imagine Wormmon falling into a sink full of water created a funny image in his head. That poor, awkwardly shaped digimon trying to climb anything was just-

Suddenly the room jerked and spun around, his ears ringing loudly as a rush of dizziness wracked his skull. Ken had to quickly grab onto the table to prevent himself from falling onto the floor. He knelt down and clenched his eyes shut when his headache from earlier came back all at once.

With a startled gasp, Ken held his head and was unable to stifle the whimper that escaped his throat a few seconds later. The pain was only getting worse and worse every second. His hands were shaking now, almost too much to control. What was happening?!

The sound of a chair being kicked back managed to filter into his ringing ears, and before he knew it someone was at his side. There was a muffled voice but he couldn't understand what they were saying. Ken realized that it was Motomiya a few moments later, but he still had no idea what he was saying.

And just like that, it all stopped - his head was fine, the room stopped moving, and his body was under control again.

"... you okay?!" Motomiya had already placed a hand on his shoulder, which Ken only just now noticed. Why was he doing that? He should be laughing at him for such ridiculous behavior! They were _enemies_!

"Don't touch me!" Ken smacked Motomiya’s hand away and stood up, towering over him. "Who do you think you are?! I don't need your help!"

Ken didn’t give Motomiya the chance to respond to his sudden change in attitude as he stormed out of the kitchen without another word. However, he couldn’t help frowning as he made his way down the hallway. Something didn’t feel right…

Seriously, what had happened back there? He would need to visit the medical ward again once he was done inspecting the bathroom. Maybe he still hadn’t rested enough after Thunderballmon’s attack or something. Perhaps it was a good thing that he was still in his pajamas. He could just go back to sleep in a little bit and try to rest off whatever strange ailment he’d contracted.

Ken was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a voice calling out to him.

"Hey!" Motomiya ran past and blocked off the rest of the hallway. "What was that for?! You practically fell over and I was trying to help you! Considering my _circumstances_ in this place, you could at least _try_ to appreciate it!"

Motomiya gasped when Ken shoved past him, but he didn’t make it very far before he lost the energy and motivation to continue making his way toward the bathroom. He was just so stressed out… His stomach was starting to feel upset again, too. And what was he even so mad about? Even his memory was starting to feel fuzzy… Something really wasn’t right.

"Let me fix the sink,” Motomiya suggested as he came around and stopped in front of him again. “I’ll stay in my room for the rest of the day after that. I'll only leave to go to the bathroom, and I'll just use the replicators for food or something."

Ken was so confused by this point that he started to laugh against his will. Really? Motomiya’s response to all this was offering to _fix the sink_?

"Hey, I’m being serious!" Motomiya crossed his arms in frustration.

Ken calmed down and eyed Motomiya up and down, trying to analyze the situation. It seemed that he was being sincere, but that just _couldn’t_ be the case! It couldn't be! There was no benefit for Motomiya in this deal at all. He would never offer to fix the sink for no reward, so what kind of game was this? There had to be something more going on.

"V-Mon broke the sink first, right?" Motomiya began. "He's too small to fix it, so I feel like I should do it. That way you won’t get more upset and try to punish him or something. I’ll deal with it if it’ll keep V-Mon out of trouble, okay?"

Ken looked directly into his eyes and searched for something suspicious, _anything_ at all. If there was mischief or foul play in Motomiya’s intentions then he would find it. However, after a long while of staring Ken couldn’t find anything of the sort. Was Motomiya _actually_ being serious here? Maybe he just needed to stop trying to make sense of the boy altogether...

"Fine," Ken decided to take his own advice for once. "I'll let you do it, but I’m going to monitor you. I don’t trust you, and I _swear_ if you pull anything weird I’m going to-!"

"Alright!" Motomiya cut him off with a nod, and just like that he walked off toward the bathroom.

********************

Daisuke examined the sink carefully. For some reason turning the knob wasn't shutting off the water and it was filling up faster than it could drain. It was very close to overflowing now. Ken had instructed him to get down and turn off the water flow with the valve by the pipes, but to be honest he had no idea what he was doing. That wasn’t only in regards to fixing the sink, either.

Helping the Kaiser had nothing to do with wanting to make up for V-Mon's mistake, though he'd done his best to play it up as such. Ken seemed to have developed a terrible habit of focusing on nothing but his codes for days and then forgetting to take care of himself. He'd get sick and crash, rest a bit and eat the bare minimum, and then do it all over again. Doing that so often was clearly making Ken irritable, and of course it was prisoners like Daisuke who got the backlash of it.

Ken _seriously_ needed distractions to take his attention off all those computer screens! He was actually somewhat tolerable when he wasn't focused on a project. Even if he was still easily angered, when he was hungry and under-rested he was a lot worse.

Their conversation in the kitchen just a few moments ago had been a good example. After he’d eaten something, Ken had actually sat down and talked to him without pulling his whip out. He’d even cracked a dumb joke of his own! Of course he’d still overreacted as usual, but that was better than the alternatives.

This situation with the sink would be the first test of his new theory: the less time Ken had to work, the less time he had to get mad!

Daisuke crawled down under the sink, water spraying all over his head as he found the valve. He figured turning it to the right would shut the water off, but since that wouldn’t keep Ken distracted enough he turned it to the left instead. His guess had been correct, and water began spraying out with twice as much force. Liquid poured out of the pipes and into the sink, finally overflowing onto the floor.

"Motomiya!" Ken exclaimed in horror. "You _moron_ , turn it the other way!"

"Sorry!" Daisuke faked his voice and fiddled with the valve for a bit. If he pulled hard enough, maybe he could break it off entirely. "It won't turn!" He lied and started yanking on it.

"No, don't force it or you’ll-!" Ken reached out to grab him, but he wasn't quite fast enough and the entire valve snapped off completely. Water billowed out of the pipes and faucet.

"Was… Was that snapping sound… _the valve_?" Ken's stiff voice made Daisuke feel a bit nervous. He'd accomplished his goal, but what if his theory had been wrong? What if Ken just whipped him now or something?

"Uhh..." Daisuke crawled out and stood up, dripping from head to toe as he tentatively handed the valve over to Ken. He rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand awkwardly. "Maybe?"

The Kaiser sent a chilling glare at him and then snatched it out of his hand. He quickly crawled down under the sink, Daisuke paying close attention to his behavior. After a little bit the water stopped running, though not before the floor had been entirely soaked.

Ken crawled back out and stood up, completely drenched in water just like Daisuke. His hair hung down and stuck to his face, much less tangled now than it had been before. His yellow pajamas clung tightly to his body and dripped down into the puddle on the floor around them.

Daisuke coughed and looked away, uncomfortable with his sudden interest in the way Ken looked.

Ken groaned, "You can't even turn a knob the right way?! I'm surprised you can feed yourself at all, let alone _cook_!"

"Oh _haha_ , you’re just _so funny_!" Daisuke’s voice dripped with sarcasm, but he quickly found himself staring at Ken again. It was just so weird to see him looking so normal for once! His hair was completely straight like it was in the real world, and it was nice to see his face without the gaudy glasses. He could actually see his eyes, which were surprisingly pretty when he looked at them up close.

Daisuke coughed again and quickly looked over at the nearby wall. The hair on the back of his neck stood up from the feeling of Ken glaring at him. He was pretty sure that if he actually tried to make eye contact, he would just laugh awkwardly and get locked back up in the dungeons or something.

"You need a cough drop?" Ken asked sarcastically as he walked over to the doorway and waved some guards over, though he didn’t seem to really care about what Daisuke was doing anymore.

"I'm fine," Daisuke lied as four Gotsumon walked into the room and Ken directed them over to the sink.

"I got the water to stop for now,” Ken explained to them. “But it won’t last long. Fix the broken valve and then examine the faucet knobs. Figure out why they aren't shutting off the water flow and then get the cleaning crew to handle all this water.”

The Gotsumon nodded and went to work. Daisuke watched them for a moment or two, but he quickly decided that he needed to continue with his theory. Moving over to a nearby shelf on the wall, Daisuke slid his shoulder beneath it. When he was positioned just right, he shoved his body upward and caused most of the things on it to knock over and fall down into the puddle below.

Ken was startled by the sudden crash and gasped, whipping around to face him. The surprised expression on his face and the way his hair spun and clung to his cheeks... There was something kind of attractive about it.

"Do you need to leave?!" Ken exclaimed.

"M-Maybe..." Daisuke rubbed his face with his wet hands, trying to figure out just what kind of messed up flu virus he must have contracted from this sink water. He was supposed to be causing chaos for Ken, not _himself_!

"Well you know where the door is," Ken growled and turned back to the Gotsumon. "Seriously, just go back to your room instead of stumbling around like an _idiot_."

... Attractive? _Really_? What was even remotely attractive about this jerk?!

Daisuke scowled and glared at Ken’s back. What an asshole! He was always targeting everyone else’s intelligence. Daisuke wasn't stupid and Ken wasn't going to make him feel like he was! Maybe he wasn't a genius and maybe he didn't care that much about school, but when he _did_ care about learning something he was very quick at picking up on it! Screw this!

Feeling frustrated, Daisuke reached his hands down into the pool of water around his ankles and splashed it up along Ken’s back. Ken gasped and turned around right as another spray was sent at him, and this time right in his face.

Before Daisuke could throw any more water at him, Ken kicked his foot out and sprayed some in Daisuke’s face this time. It got in his mouth and nose, making him sputter and gag.

"Agh, _foot water_!" Daisuke spat in disgust.

"Well you're the one who started-!" Before Ken could finish, Daisuke had scooped up another handful of water and splashed it at him. The three Gotsumon all stared at them and backed away nervously.

Ken grabbed one of the fallen cups off the floor and used it to throw a much larger amount of water at Daisuke this time. It hit him square in the chest, sending cold chills up his spine. Daisuke grabbed a cup of his own off the edge of the shelf in retaliation. He threw water back at him, but Ken was able to duck out of the way just in time.

With a smirk on his face, Ken threw a wet rag that had been on the floor which immediately plastered itself to Daisuke's face. He sputtered and ripped it off, gagging at the musky smell. Right as he pulled it off another splash of water hit him from Ken’s cup.

"Daisuke, you’re terrible at this!" Ken laughed from the other side of the room.

Daisuke froze, unable to help himself when he realized what Ken had just said. “Did you… Did you just call me by my name?”

Ken seemed to realize his mistake by the way he suddenly stiffened up. The room was immediately silent and awkward, all remnants of fun long gone.

Daisuke called Ken by his personal name _because_ of how inappropriate it was, and because he knew it made him mad. He was absolutely positive that Ken did _not_ view them as equals or as friends, and Ken didn’t joke around on purpose, so why would he say that?

Then again, he had joked around earlier that morning...

"It… It was just a slip..." Ken stammered and looked down. Daisuke glanced away as well, unsure of what to say. Even if a stranger had called him by his given name it wouldn't really have mattered that much to him. He'd never cared a whole lot about being proper like other people did, but with _Ken_ it was different. He definitely hadn’t given him permission to call him by his name or to put them on a personal basis, especially while he was locked up as a prisoner in his base.

Before Daisuke got the chance to say any of those things though, Ken suddenly gasped and shut his eyes tight. He wobbled as though he was dizzy and seemed to have trouble standing. His hands reached up to grip at his hair and his legs stumbled backward.

Daisuke ran over and tried to steady him, but the other boy was already going down. The best thing he could do was steer his fall away from the edge of the sink by pulling Ken toward him, and then easing him down into a sitting position. While that all worked out well enough, Daisuke himself ended up slipping and landing on his ass in the water.

Ken seemed to have snapped out of it by then and was already trying to get back up. His limbs were clearly weak though, so Daisuke grabbed him by the arm and made him sit back down.

"Wait!" Daisuke exclaimed. “Don’t get up yet, jeez! You’ve fainted like, what, three times now?”

"I don't know..." Ken seemed very out of it when he spoke, his eyes directed at the wall with a blank expression on his face. Daisuke was starting to get legitimately worried. Apparently the Gotsumon were too; all three of them rushed out of the room while shouting about getting the medics.

"Hey..." Daisuke put a steadying hand on Ken’s shoulder and did his best to try and get his attention. "You need to get looked at by a doctor in the real world, not a digimon in the base. I know you don’t like it or whatever, but you _seriously_ need to go home."

“... What?” Ken trailed off, and for a split second Daisuke wondered if the other boy even knew where he was. If that were the case though it didn’t last very long. Ken’s expression suddenly lowered into a furious glare and he yanked his shoulder away from Daisuke’s grasp. “Why are you touching me?!”

Daisuke frowned and stared at him for a moment, very confused by the sudden change in attitude. “Do you even remember what I just said to you about-?”

“Sir!” Ogremon came into the bathroom with a stretcher and cut the conversation off completely. “Don’t worry about the sink, the Gotsumon will fix it. The cleaning crew is almost here too, so let me take you to the infirmary.”

“I will _not_ be put on that stretcher!” Ken stood up and walked angrily over to the Ogremon. “Gotsumon, have this situation handled within the hour. I’ll go to the infirmary on my own.”

“Yes, sir.” Ogremon nodded along with the Gotsumon, allowing Ken to leave by himself. Once he’d made it out into the hallway, the Ogremon followed behind him while pulling the empty stretcher.

Daisuke watched them leave from the bathroom doorway. He didn’t care what anyone said, something seriously weird was going on with Ken.


	8. Backfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm
> 
> Author’s Note: This chapter is more of a perspective-shifting collection of drabbles, so it’s a bit different. It was a way to show time passing by without having to write a bunch of filler for nothing.

Daisuke looked around the corner and spotted the two Gorimon guards standing firm and attentive in front of the control room doors. He knew they wouldn't let him inside under normal circumstances, but he had a plan! If it didn't work, well… whatever.

Ken had randomly canceled their morning meetings ' _until further notice_ ' and Daisuke immediately found himself curious about it. What was Ken up to, all cooped up alone in that dark control room of his? Had he made a new discovery on his weird ring? Was he just so engrossed with his work that he was forgetting about everything else again? He needed to know!

"Hey!" Daisuke walked up cheerfully to the guards and smiled. "Ken asked me to come to the control room today."

The Gorimon looked at each other slowly, clearly confused by his sudden appearance. “That’s the exact opposite of what he told us this morning.” One of them narrowed their eyes suspiciously.

"Oh?” Daisuke faked his confusion with an expertly placed expression of ignorance. "But he _just_ asked me to come by. He called me over the video screen in my room. He probably forgot to tell you guys first, he seemed like he was in a pretty bad mood..."

The Gorimon looked at each other again, but this time they stepped aside for him to enter. Daisuke grinned, trying to make it look happy rather than mischievous. His theory that the guards wouldn’t want to ask Ken directly if they thought he was mad had worked perfectly!

Daisuke stepped slowly and as quietly as he could into the control room, which was completely dark aside from the computer monitors currently in use.

"Wormmon, I don't want to hear your whining right now," Ken's voice floated across the room, but Daisuke ignored it and pulled a coffee thermos out of his jacket’s inside-pocket. He quietly stepped into the middle of the room and cleared his throat, signaling his presence.

Ken was clearly startled and stood up suddenly, nearly knocking his chair over in the process.

"Here!" Daisuke walked over and handed the thermos to him, ignoring the glare being sent his way. "I made you coffee this morning!"

Ken didn't speak and instead just stared straight ahead at him. Daisuke smiled sweetly and nudged the thermos forward again, just a few inches away from Ken’s chest now. The Kaiser gave it a suspicious glare, but eventually he reached out slowly and took it. He looked completely confused and very much on edge.

"Okay, well, see you later then!" Daisuke closed his eyes and gave him one last smile before turning around to leave the room. Almost as soon as he was back out in the hallway he picked up his pace and got ready to sprint for-

"MOTOMIYA!"

Daisuke booked it down the hall a bit sooner than he’d expected, wondering how long it would take the guards to catch him.

********************

Ken typed at his keyboard, his eyes staring firmly at the various numbers and symbols in front of him. He was determined to finish all of the re-coding for his new edition of the Bio Ring before attempting any further testing. As annoying as it was, there really wasn’t much point in having Motomiya come to the...

Oh that little shit.

The Kaiser growled at the memory of the previous day. That stupid boy had come in, pretending to have made him coffee and then ran for it like the guilty little rat that he was. But then again, why Ken had even opened the stupid thermos in the first place was beyond him... Maybe coffee had sounded more desirable than normal or something? Whatever the reason, anything coming from Motomiya _should have_ set off his mental prank alarm. That’s what he got for not sleeping enough again...

"Fake snakes..." Ken scoffed, almost _laughing_ at how stupid it all was. Seriously, was Motomiya four years old at heart or something? Who was still putting _fake springing snakes_ inside of coffee mugs by that age? He was a senior in High School, wasn’t he? He’d researched the Chosen quite thoroughly…

Oh well. At least the dumb boy had looked bored in the dungeons for the rest of the day.

The sound of loud knocking suddenly cut off the Kaiser's thoughts. His head turned automatically toward the direction of the sound. The back door? Why there? Everyone knew that he kept it locked… That’s why he didn’t bother putting guards out there. It was pretty much just a fire escape.

"Use the front doors!" Ken hollered and went back to his work, his patience already starting to drain. He had so much work to do still… How was he ever going to get it all done if everyone kept-

Another knock.

Ken growled in frustration but tried to keep his cool. He absolutely would _not_ get up for them, especially if they were too stupid to understand the very simple directions that he’d already given them. He had things to do right now! Things that were far more important than-!

Another knock.

"That’s it!" Ken stood up furiously and stomped over to the door, unlatching it and throwing it open. He'd been ready to yell at anyone who was standing outside, but he was thrown off when all he found was an empty hallway on either side of him. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, glancing over to his left and right again. When still no one was there, he closed the door and locked it.

Had he been hearing things? As exhausted as he was, he really couldn’t ignore the possibility... Or maybe something had been knocked over and hit the wall? Or perhaps someone upstairs had dropped something onto the floor and it made a knocking sound?

Ugh, he didn’t have time for this.

Kent went back over to his keyboard to continue working on his ring, feeling uneasy now. At least he'd made quite a bit of progress on it already. He was even anticipating being able to test it again in just a few more days, or-

Another knock.

Kent let his chair fly backward as he stood back up and marched over to the back door again, all previous thoughts now forgotten. He wrenched it open but once again he was met with nothing in sight. He stepped out into the hallway and looked around.

Nothing… Absolutely nothing. Should he check the security cameras? Damn it, he didn’t have time to waste like this!

Ken went back into the control room a few moments later and slammed the door shut, but he didn't lock it this time. He stood in front of the back doors with his hands hovering over the doorknobs, just waiting for the next time this moron would knock. Oh it was _surely_ Daisuke… He’d bet money on it.

********************

Daisuke walked quietly down the hallway with a box held firmly in his hands. As he passed the hallway that lead to the control room's back doors, he couldn't help wondering just how long Ken had waited for him to knock for a third time the previous day! He wished he’d had a camera in there...

He continued along his path, turning at the familiar corner and walking right up to the front door guards. They crossed their arms and stepped in front of the double doors.

"Hey, I have a package for Ken!" Daisuke explained with fake indignance, working hard to keep his voice steady. "Wormmon was supposed to deliver it but he's busy, so I said I’d bring it for him."

"How do we know you're telling us the truth this time?" one of the Gorimon asked with a suspicious expression on his face. “Your little jokes have gotten us in a lot of trouble these past few days!”

"Ask him yourself if you want!” Daisuke offered. “But he _really_ needed this package right away or he can’t finish his work. That’s what Wormmon said anyway… No jokes this time! I just don’t want him to get mad and start taking it out on everyone else, ya know?"

The Gorimon looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and stepping aside for Daisuke to enter. He thanked them with a bow and opened the door, making a point of turning the knob slowly enough so that Ken wouldn't hear him enter.

He tiptoed silently into the room, thanking whichever god had just granted him the luck to actually get past the guards again! Oh boy, they were about to hate him for this...

Daisuke set the box down on the floor and opened it, reaching in and grabbing two of the many water balloons he’d placed inside. With a smirk on his face and while still crouching down, he threw both of them as hard as he could across the room. They hit Ken perfectly in the back of his head as intended.

Ken gasped and leapt to his feet, spinning around as his chair toppled over beside him. Daisuke had already grabbed two more balloons and jumped back up. For a moment they stared at each other, Ken’s eyes shaded by his glasses but the rest of his face implying that he was still staring in shock.

Daisuke tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t quite hold back a snicker when he realized that half of Ken’s hair was flattened by the water, while the other half was still spiked up. That seemed to snap Ken back out of his surprise and into the fury that Daisuke had initially expected.

As quickly as he could, Daisuke threw the balloons in his hands up at the ceiling and caused water to spray down on the Kaiser like a sprinkler. Ken gasped and covered his head with his hands as it rained on him, and while he was distracted Daisuke reached down to grab two more balloons. As soon as Ken looked back up, Daisuke recognized the livid expression on his face.

Daisuke spun on his heels and burst back out through the front doors, the guards giving chase as soon as they heard Ken shout his name.

********************

Daisuke crossed his legs and looked up at the thick chain holding his cage up in the air. Ken had actually gone through with his threat to hang him over the generator pit. He’d even made a point of putting him in the smallest cage he could find, leaving just enough room to sit or stand. Apparently he'd be there for seven more hours, making a total of eight.

The control room guards in the nearby cages continued to glare at him, but Daisuke refused to make eye contact. Really, who in their right mind would have even believed him a second time? They should be glaring at each other, not at him! It was their own fault they slipped on the last two water balloons that Daisuke had thrown right at their feet as they chased him.

Just seven hours left… Well, one thing was for sure - Ken's hair flattened very easily with water!

********************

The Kaiser sighed and rubbed his forehead, a headache crawling up his skull. There was just too much to do and too little time to do it all. Why hadn’t anyone figured out how to clone themselves by now? Maybe he should try doing that next… Then something might actually get _done_ for once! He could even have one of the clones keep an eye on a certain _someone_ to help prevent interruptions.

Ken growled and shook his head. _No_ , he had forbidden himself from thinking about Motomiya while he was working! He had new guards out front now just for that reason, and even if they didn't catch everything going on outside, it wasn't a huge problem anymore. He'd programmed his security monitor to beep anytime Motomiya's tracker entered any of the nearby hallways.

Speaking of beeping.

Ken felt his whole body tense up at the sound, like he was about to be dunked in ice water or something. His anxiety had apparently reached the point where just knowing that Motomiya was in the general vicinity was enough to give him physical reactions. He felt his stress levels rise even more as the dreaded red dot on the map got closer to the control room, until it eventually stopped right in front of the unguarded back doors.

Ken groaned and made his way over to back area, standing directly in front of the doors and crossing his arms over his chest. He made sure that he would be the very first thing Motomiya saw if he did manage to weasel his way inside. As he waited, he found himself glancing over at his monitor every now and then. He hated how tense he felt... Why was he letting this one boy get to him so badly? Motomiya had no power over him, no means of persuasion... Especially not after the crap he'd been pulling recently!

Sure enough, after only a few more seconds the door slowly creaked open and Ken’s suspected prisoner came slinking inside. Daisuke froze in the entryway and stared at him, seeming surprised to have been caught so easily. Ken remained perfectly still with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

“H-Hey there!” Daisuke stammered awkwardly.

“ _Hello_ ,” Ken responded curtly, his tone lacking even a shred of sincerity.

“I uh…” Daisuke looked back into the hallway he’d entered from and then laughed awkwardly. “I just, you know…! Wr-wrong door! Aha…” Daisuke cleared his throat. “Easy mistake...”

“Oh, I’m _sure_ it is,” Ken’s words dripped with sarcasm. “How _ever_ did you manage to pick the lock?”

“P-Pick the lock?!” Daisuke laughed again, and much louder than was natural. “Pick the… lock… That’s… I-I mean, I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“I see…” Ken trailed off, though he found his anger simmering down quite a bit. Daisuke’s reaction was just so comically stupid that he almost wanted to laugh. In fact, he found himself having to stifle the urge to do so. “Well it’s a good thing you didn’t pick it, then,” Ken managed to continue without any waiver to his voice, though it wasn’t as easy as he would have liked. “Because if you _did_ then I’d have to put you back in that cage over the generator pit. So it’s a good thing that you didn’t, _right_ , Motomiya?"

“Oh it’s _super_ convenient, that’s for sure!” Daisuke had backed out into the hallway now where the light was much brighter. It was then that Ken noticed the massive bruise on his shin.

_'Daisuke cried out in pain when he was both backhanded in the face and kicked harshly in the shin by Ken's heavy duty boots.'_

Ken felt his composure break when he realized where the bruise had come from.

Wait... Why should he feel guilty for that?! Daisuke shouldn't have brought up his brother back then, so it was his own stupid fault that he got kicked! Ken would do it again if he had to!

Suddenly the Kaiser realized that Daisuke had already slunk out of the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Ken alone in the dark.

********************

Daisuke waited patiently for V-Mon as he peeked around the corner that lead to the control room. If he actually stepped into the hallway then Ken's stupid ‘ _Daisuke alert_ ’ would go off, so he had to be careful. If all went well though, his tracker’s signal would soon be replaced with Andromon's and Ken wouldn't know when he was nearby anymore.

V-Mon had “informed” Andromon with an “official letter” that Ken wanted to know exactly where he was at all times for the sake of some “important business” coming up. Since the Kaiser only had “one tracker in the entire base for some reason,” he’d just “have” to have Daisuke give his to Andromon! Ken was “much too busy” to switch the signals himself though, so Andromon had given Daisuke the “required instructions” on how to do it.

Obviously making sure Ken wasn’t bothered with such a _trivial task_ was their _top_ priority here.

Daisuke watched carefully, and a few moments later he saw V-Mon's head appear around the corner on the opposite end of the hallway with the control room between them. V-Mon grinned and showed his partner the boom box and large speakers they’d prepared for this occasion.

Daisuke nodded and crouched down, waiting for the signal. As soon as there was loud music blasting down the corridors, he jumped to his feet and sprinted down the next hallway over, which lead him to the control room’s back entrance. Once he was there he pressed his ear up to the crack between the two doors and listened as best he could.

“... is going on?!” Ken's voice was quite furious, but Daisuke didn’t hear it getting any quieter. He heard footsteps rushing over to the front entrance but he was pretty sure that was just a guard. Sure enough, a few moments later he heard Ken’s voice again. “... can't do anything right... it myself... believe this… I have _work to do_!”

The sound of the front doors slamming shut was all Daisuke needed to hear, and he quickly shoved the key he'd "borrowed" from Andromon into the keyhole. It worked and the doors swung open.

He peered inside slowly, making sure the coast was actually clear. When he was met with a dark, empty room he raced over to the control panel that Andromon said he needed to find. He quickly shoved the floppy disk into the opening near the keyboard, and thankfully he didn't have to wait too long before a box popped up on the screen. It appeared to be asking him to confirm the requested changes, so he pressed okay and a loading bar appeared.

"Come on... Come on...!" Daisuke hissed impatiently, glancing over at the front doors where quite a bit of shouting was coming from. V-Mon had most likely moved on to the second part of their plan now, which involved a makeshift slingshot and a _lot_ of wet, pre-chewed gumballs - courtesy of the replicators!

The loading bar quickly reached the end, but an unexpected box popped up right when it reached 99 percent. The box asked if he wanted to… allow numerical changes to the assisted locational algorithm? What?!

“Damn it!” Daisuke cursed and looked at the doors again. Andromon never said this would happen! What should he do?!

Without any idea what that question was even asking, Daisuke just shrugged, hit _yes_ and hoped for the best. Immediately he heard a ding from the computer and saw a confirmation message pop up, so he yanked the disk out of the slot and closed all of the boxes on the screen.

He sure hoped it worked, because if it hadn’t he sure as hell wasn’t going to try again!

With a shrug, Daisuke sprinted back out into the hallway he’d entered from. He closed and locked the doors as quietly as he could behind him. As long as Ken had no reason to check his control room's security cameras, he'd never have to know!

********************

Ken jumped and stood up quickly when he heard a loud _bang_ nearby, shoving his throne chair back with his leg in the process. He looked around the control room rapidly, his hand clutching his whip so hard that his knuckles were white. He held his breath and prepared himself for some sort of incident.

"Haha, I know!" came the sound of one of the guards from out in the hallway. The Kaiser took in a deep breath. It had just been one of them bumping into the wall... Or perhaps Wormmon had done it. He was in the back of the room cleaning his computer parts, so he could have dropped something.

Ken let go of his whip but his anger didn’t subside. "Shut up!" he hollered and silenced everyone nearby, including the guards outside. Wormmon jumped and gasped in the far back corner. Ken just couldn’t take it anymore… No more noise, no more talking, no more _anything_!

"Ugh..." Ken leaned against the control panel and shut his eyes. He was too stressed out… He just needed to take more deep breaths and get more sleep tonight. Instead of four hours he'd get eight. Maybe he'd even lock Daisuke, V-Mon and Wormmon all up together in a cage just to ease his nerves.

Ken went to sit down but found nothing to be under him, and he instead landed flat on his ass. He immediately looked up at his security screens, expecting to see Daisuke's tracking dot located right outside the control room. However, his prisoner appeared to be in one of the hallways on the second floor doing... whatever it was Daisuke did.

Right, he’d nudged his chair when he stood up suddenly… Ken gave up and just laid down on the floor, covering his face with an arm. He was so drained… Where had all of his energy gone? His drive? His ambition? It was so hard to stay focused these days.

"Ken..." Wormmon's voice floated gently over to him. "You should go to bed. Just finish up whatever you're working on tomorrow."

Ken was quiet for a long time while he thought about it, and for the first time since he'd built the base, he decided to listen to the worm.

********************

The sound of awful singing was accompanied by the banging of pots and pans as V-Mon went tearing down the hallway. As he ran past the control room, he threw one of the pots at the feet of the first Gorimon he saw, giggling manically as he continued along his way.

Daisuke peered around the corner and watched the guards give chase, followed quickly by the newly appointed guards that were stationed at the back door once they heard the commotion. After that came what Daisuke had been waiting for - Ken storming out of the control room and following after them.

Daisuke ran as fast as he could into the now-empty room and threw the whoopee cushion down onto Ken's throne chair, which had been purposely re-colored to match the seat. Oh, he’d get caught for sure when Ken checked the security cameras, but it was well worth it.

********************

Both boys glared at each other while Ken fiddled with the buttons on Motomiya’s wrist-tracker. He clicked some keys on the control panel and entered in codes as quickly as he could.

The Kaiser had found himself paranoid enough to finally check the top floor’s security camera footage from the past week. It hadn't surprised him one bit to see everything that Motomiya had done. Not even the fact that he’d managed to mess with his tracker’s signal had shocked him, and it really should have. Motomiya Daisuke was _not_ someone to take lightly when it came to causing mass confusion and an overall lack of production, that was for sure. It was like he radiated chaos without even having to try, and it only got worse when he _did_.

The best part about it all was that nothing Motomiya had done was even very well thought out. It was all stuff that a kindergartner could have thought up on their own, and yet somehow it had all just worked out perfectly for him. Ken had fallen for it every single time…

Ken was pretty sure that it was _because_ it was all so simple and obvious that he seemed to be utterly incapable of predicting Motomiya’s stupid ideas. He’d never met anyone like this before. He hated to admit it, but Motomiya was very… unique. It was almost hard to hate him.

Wait, no it wasn’t!

Daisuke tapped his foot and rolled his eyes as he waited for Ken to finish his work. It seemed that he was more bored than upset, which Ken believed fully considering how long Daisuke had been in the generator cage this time - he'd even slept there overnight!

The computer beeped, confirming that the data transfer was done and that Daisuke was correctly linked up to his tracking program again. Andromon would no longer register at Daisuke's location on the map, and vice versa.

"Out with you!" Ken growled, grabbing Daisuke by the arm and shoving him toward the front doors. Daisuke tripped in the process though, Ken having shoved him a bit harder than he'd intended. He fell to the ground with a grunt and Ken suddenly saw a memory flash across his mind.

_Daisuke groaned as his head hit the concrete below, his body still strapped down to the chair. He clearly felt dizzy and sick from the blow as he shut his eyes tightly in pain._

Ken winced as voices echoed in his head.

_"You're real. You're certainly not worthy, but at least you're real."_

_"Real enough to beat the shit out of?"_

Ken felt a terrible guilt creeping into his stomach. Maybe... Maybe he really had gone too far… Before he could think about it first he was already reaching out to help Daisuke get up. When he realized what he was doing though, he wrenched his arm back at the last second.

Why would he help this fool?! It was Daisuke’s own fault that he'd been kicked to the floor! Ken didn't need to explain himself to such an _idiot_ \- not after he’d brought up Osamu and insulted him! Speaking of which, he never _had_ punished Daisuke for doing that. He'd just been so busy with everything else that it had slipped his mind.

"Um...?" Daisuke trailed off, having apparently stood up already.

"J-Just go away!" Ken yelled, shoving Daisuke the rest of the way through the door and slamming it shut behind him. There were a _lot_ more guards out there now so he really wasn’t worried about his prisoner causing him problems out there anymore. In fact, he now had various slaves patrolling the hallways as backup security, and V-Mon had been issued with a new tracker earlier that day.

Ken sighed slowly and leaned up against the doors. No one else was in the room with him and he was very glad for that. He hated to admit it, but the guilt was still there… Maybe eleven hours of sleep was needed.

********************

Daisuke clutched the slingshot in his hands tightly with a bowl of soft fruits nearby. He watched the kitchen doorway from his hiding spot behind the counter in the middle of the room. The hall outside was silent and empty. Normally from the kitchen he could hear the guards in front of the Kaiser’s bedroom talking since it was just a few doors down, but they never spoke if Ken was actually in there. They had to be very careful of what they said.

Daisuke couldn’t be certain if the Kaiser would try to eat breakfast that day, but it didn’t matter. He’d have to pass by the kitchen doors to get to the control room, so Daisuke would have his chance to strike no matter what!

Sure enough there were footsteps, and just a moment later the Kaiser walked into view. Before he even had the chance to realize what was happening, a tomato went streaking straight for his chest and splattered all over him. Ken gasped and sputtered from the hallway, removing his glasses so he could wipe the tomato goop off his face.

Daisuke grinned as their eyes met, but his expression changed when Ken’s gaze moved elsewhere. He realized too late that the other boy was looking at the sink faucet which could be pulled out like a hose and used to spray nearly anything in the room. V-Mon had even done it once, so it was totally stupid on his part that he'd overlooked it.

Ken moved first, sprinting into the room and grabbing the faucet handle. He pulled out his ‘weapon’ and turned around, pointing it straight at Daisuke’s face.

"Your dumb little slingshot won't compare to this, you _fool_ ," Ken growled and a jet of water was sent across the counter. Daisuke ducked down just in time to avoid it, making sure to grab his bowl of ammo along the way. Ken ran forward and crouched down in front of the counter on the other side. The hose barely stretched far enough for him to make it, but nevertheless it did.

Daisuke stayed ducked down and ran around the right side of the counter, having grabbed another tomato from the bowl beforehand. As soon as he’d loaded it into the slingshot, he leapt around with his weapon pulled back.

Water and tomato flew at the same time, the fruit sailing over the stream from the hose. Both targets were hit, Daisuke falling on his butt as water sprayed him in the face and Ken swearing as another mass of red goop exploded all over his front.

Daisuke ran back to his side of the counter and shook his head to try and get the water out of his eyes. He grabbed a handful of blackberries from the bowl, but before he could load them into the slingshot Ken had ran around the other side of the counter and sprayed him hard in the back.

Daisuke threw himself to the floor so that he was under the jet of water. He pulled back his sling shot and sent the berries flying. Half of them hit the jet and were sent sailing off in random directions, but the other half hit Ken in random spots.

Ken gasped as his uniform was painted yet again. Daisuke used the distraction to grab his bowl and run to the other side of the counter where Ken had first been. However, a better idea popped into his head when he saw the direction the hose was going. He quickly set down his sling shot into the ammo bowl, and as quietly as possible he climbed up on top of the counter. He spotted his target almost instantly.

Ken noticed him just a bit too late. His eyes went wide and he yelped as he was flattened to the floor. Now on top, Daisuke grabbed the hose and tried to wrench it out of his opponent's hand. Water sprayed all over each of their faces as they struggled, and unfortunately for him Ken turned out to be a lot stronger than he’d predicted.

Hey wait, wasn’t Ken really good at Judo or somethi-?

Daisuke gasped when he was suddenly yanked forward and sent flipping over Ken’s head. He landed flat on his back a few feet away with a grunt. Before he even got the chance to try and get up, Ken was already standing over him with the hose pointed straight at his face. Daisuke covered his head with his arms as he was drenched.

As soon as the water finally stopped spraying on him, Daisuke slowly looked up at Ken. His opponent was panting just about as hard as he was from the exchange. His hair was sticky with fruit and water, hanging down flat against his face as his tight uniform clung to his skin.

" _You_ ," Ken growled, though Daisuke couldn’t help noticing the traces of mirth in his voice. "Are in _so_ much-!" He didn't get to finish his statement because as soon as he took a step forward, his boot slipped on a piece of tomato and he was sent crashing to the floor. He gasped and squeaked in surprise, landing right beside Daisuke who burst into a fit of laughter. The sound Ken had made and the way he'd fallen had just been so... graceless!

Daisuke stared when Ken started laughing too. He was still lying on his back on the cold floor, which was something that should have made him mad. And yet there he was… laughing in a puddle.

The laughter became infectious, and the next thing Daisuke knew he was cracking up again. It was really nice to see a positive emotion in Ken. It was similar to their experience in the bathroom - the two of them soaking wet and laughing while Ken's hair was so drenched in water that it was actually straight. Daisuke felt accomplished.

"Uuugh!" Ken sighed, though it lacked any real anger. He ran a hand through his hair, sticky goo clinging to his fingers. "I _just_ took a shower!"

"Oh don't worry," Daisuke laughed and rolled onto his side so that he was facing Ken. "You smelled bad anyway."

Ken turned to Daisuke with exasperation in his eyes. It didn't hold any real strength though, and before long he was smiling again. It was a real, genuine smile, one lacking any shred of evil or hatred. Seeing him like that and with his hair back to normal… It was almost like seeing a different person entirely. Daisuke found himself unable to look away. Ken was gorgeous...

There was a feeling in his chest that he couldn’t quite explain. It was as though he had some kind of connection with Ken, but it wasn’t like anything else he’d ever experienced before. He had nothing to compare the feeling too though. He only knew that it felt stronger than friendship. It was special in some way - special only to them.

Daisuke’s eyes traveled up and down Ken’s body without thinking, and by the time they made their way back up to his face he was struck with a very strong impulse. It was crazy and stupid, and in the back of his mind he _knew_ he shouldn't do it, but…

Before he even realized that he was leaning forward, his eyes had already closed and his lips were on Ken’s. The regret was immediate - his breath caught in his throat and he froze. His eyes clenched shut tightly as a chill of fear shot up his back. Oh no… Oh no, no, no, no, _no_! He was _dead_! Ken was going to rip his head off and feed it to Deltamon and-!

Daisuke’s eyes flew open when Ken gently pressed his lips back against his. What was happening? Was this a dream? Okay, it _had_ to be a dream! There was no way in a thousand years that Ken would ever do something like this willingly!

Ken pressed back again, and Daisuke found himself caring about the logic of their situation a lot less. He let his eyes shut as his nerves lit on fire. Even though he was terrified and his hands were shaking, he reached up anyway and laced his fingers through Ken’s soft hair. He tilted Ken’s head back a bit so that he could get at a better angle, and before he knew it they were kissing fully.

Ken moaned softly, his fingertips grazing over Daisuke’s sides as though he wanted to touch him but he wasn’t sure if he should. Daisuke let some of his guard down and moved his hand down to Ken’s lower back, gripping at the fabric of his wet uniform. He rolled Ken onto his back and moved himself so that his upper body was over him.

Their kissing started to speed up, and before Daisuke knew it he was straddling over him and leaning his head down into the contact. His head swam when Ken moaned again, and he felt his tongue slip into the other boy’s mouth.

Suddenly Ken gasped and pulled away. His eyes clenched shut and he grabbed his hair so hard that his knuckles were white. He curled up into a ball beneath Daisuke and whimpered, tears tugging at the corners of his eyes.

"Ken?!" Daisuke asked, immediately sober. "Hey, what’s-?!"

Ken's fist suddenly connected hard with his face and cut him off before he could finish. Daisuke stumbled over and ended up on his back again. He clutched the wound and cringed, pulling his hand away from his cheek to check for blood. There wasn’t any, but it hurt enough that he knew there would be a massive welt very soon.

Before Daisuke could sit up, Ken's shadow was cast over him. He looked up and into the Kaiser’s eyes, which were now alight with fury.

" _What do you think you’re doing_?!" Ken hollered down at him, his voice cracking a bit at the end. Daisuke scrambled up to his feet before he was whipped or something.

"I-I…!" Daisuke tried to answer, but nothing came out. He had no idea what to say because he didn’t even understand it himself. What the hell _had_ he been doing?! He just kind of… did it, and then it was too late to go back! “I, uh...”

"Answer me!" Ken cut him off and shoved him backward, nearly making him fall back over. Daisuke’s shoulder slammed into the metal wall behind him painfully. Suddenly he felt a rage boiling out of the pit of his stomach.

“ _Fuck you_!" Daisuke shouted at the top of his lungs. "Maybe you should figure out why you’re moaning into my mouth before you _yell at me for starting it_!"

Ken’s eyes widened and his mouth opened a bit to reply, but no words came out. He closed his lips and opened them again, but once again he was unable to speak. He finally settled on glaring, his cheeks turning bright red and his fists clenching.

After a very awkward silence, Ken turned around and stormed out of the kitchen with a loud _bang_ as he threw the doors open. They hit the wall and bounced back, nearly closing back up on their own from the force. Daisuke stood in the same spot against the wall for a while, panting and trying to catch his breath.

He was so confused… Had he completely lost his mind?! Were all his pranks around the base starting to mess with his own head now too? He was supposed to be causing _Ken_ a bunch of chaos! _He_ was the one making the jokes here! How had it backfired in his face so terribly?!

Daisuke put a hand over his forehead as a headache started creeping up his skull. Well he did know one thing for sure - this time, the joke wasn’t just on Ken.


	9. Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

"Daisuke!" V-Mon called out as he tossed one of the oranges from the kitchen. Daisuke had to leap to catch it, and as he did V-Mon scurried further down the hallway. Daisuke pulled his arm back and threw the orange as hard as he could, hoping to catch his partner off-guard. V-Mon snatched it out of the air with ease though, so Daisuke had to take a few steps back. The first one to drop it had to make lunch!

"Haha, good catch!" Daisuke grinned. He readied himself, knowing that his partner would probably try to get him with a trick throw. Though to be honest he was considering just letting V-Mon win. He was so sick of eating burnt food.

Footsteps approached, both Daisuke and V-Mon turning to face the direction of the sound. To Daisuke’s dismay it was Ken who rounded the corner right behind him. He immediately moved his eyes away and settled them on the nearest wall, fiddling with his thumbs awkwardly. He tapped his foot and tried to act like he didn't care.

A wave of butterflies filled his chest as Ken got closer, and Daisuke had to clear his throat to keep it under control. He did so as quietly as possible in hopes of not being heard. Once Ken was passing him, Daisuke accidentally looked up. _Damn it_ , his eyes had moved on their own!

Daisuke was about to look away again when he noticed that Ken was staring straight ahead, as though making a point to do so. His expression was unusually emotionless even for him, and the way he walked was much stiffer than normal. He must have really been going out of his way to not acknowledge Daisuke’s presence.

Quickly enough, Ken had rounded the corner by V-Mon and walked out of sight.

"Huh..." V-Mon's voice felt a lot louder in the small space than it had before. He raised an eyebrow and looked back at where Ken had last been seen. "He was unusually quiet."

"Yeah, what a _weirdo_." Daisuke forced a grin on his face as V-Mon laughed, appearing to fall for his partner's sneaky response. Daisuke ended up falling for a trick as well though, as the orange suddenly flew past his head and hit the wall behind him. It fell to the floor and rolled beside Daisuke’s foot. He’d been too distracted...

“Haha!” V-Mon cheered and jumped up and down victoriously. “You get to cook!”

Daisuke smirked. The victory was actually his.

Making lunch was easy since he’d settled on preparing sandwiches instead of _actually_ cooking anything. Less dishes that way, and less time spent hearing V-Mon whine about the food taking ‘ _forever_.’ Once they finished their lunches, Daisuke made his way back to their room while V-Mon stayed behind to grab some snacks or something.

Their bedroom was pretty messy, so he quickly gathered up all the clutter off the floor and stuffed it under the bed. Perfect!

As Daisuke finished setting up the video game console, V-Mon finally returned from the kitchen and the two of them sat down to play. They hadn’t gotten to relax together very much recently, so this would be a nice change of pace. He and V-Mon were nearly at the end of one of his favorite adventure games too! He was excited for his partner to see the ending.

However, only a few minutes after they started playing the screen suddenly went dark. A few seconds later an image of the Kaiser’s face appeared in its place.

"Motomiya."

Daisuke sighed and raised an eyebrow as an acknowledgment.

"Go clean up the horrendous mess in the kitchen immediately," Ken's voice was strained and awkward, and Daisuke could tell that he was trying very hard to mask it. "You’re a massive slob and I’m sick of it."

"Hey, I made the mess too!" V-Mon glared at the screen belligerently. "It wasn’t just Daisuke’s fault!"

"Yeah?! Well you’re a slob too then!" Ken shouted a lot louder than was necessary. Not that Daisuke was surprised with his overreaction... "I don’t care who did it, _Motomiya_ is cleaning it. So he’d better be in the kitchen in the next five minutes or he’ll be cleaning _toilets_ too!"

Daisuke groaned as the video shut off and his game came back up on the screen. Great, first the silent treatment and now he was in trouble for everything in the base… He stood up with a sigh and set the controller down on the bed. As he headed out into the hallway, V-Mon ran to catch up.

"What's his problem?!" V-Mon fumed and punched the air in front of them. "I told him I did it too and he’s still punishing you for it! What a jerk!"

"He's..." Daisuke wasn't sure what he should say to his partner. He _really_ didn’t want to tell him the truth… V-Mon just wouldn’t understand the situation. "He’s just mad at me for something I did a little while ago, but you know how he is… Can’t get over anything."

V-Mon shrugged and seemed to not care enough to ask, which Daisuke was very thankful for. Before too long they reached the kitchen and Daisuke opened the double doors, stepping inside with V-Mon. Immediately he froze though, his eyes widening and staring around the room.

Most of the cupboards and drawers had been left open with dishes and silverware scattered all over the place. Glasses were broken, pieces of plates were lying in various locations, and food was splattered on the walls. The sink hose was pulled out and lying on the floor, water was dripping all over the room, and the refrigerator door was hanging wide open.

And right in the middle of the massive mess was a very unamused Ken.

"V-Mon, _what the heck_?!" Daisuke couldn't think of anything else to say as he turned to stare down at his partner in disbelief. Ken crossed his arms and appeared to be waiting for an explanation as well.

"I, uh..." V-Mon shifted from foot to foot and stared between Daisuke and Ken. He was obviously nervous about the fact that both of them were glaring down at him together. "I-I was just playing a game! I couldn’t find any snacks that I wanted for our video game and I got distracted..."

"So your game was tearing up the kitchen?" Ken snapped.

"That wasn't my _intention_!" V-Mon snapped back, but then he seemed to grow more humble a few seconds later. "It just... kind of... happened! I wanted to see if I could run faster than I could throw, so I took a plate or whatever I could find and I threw it as hard as I could across the room, and then I tried to run and see if I could catch it! It uh…” V-Mon scratched the back of his head and grinned awkwardly. “Turns out I'm _not_ faster than I can throw..."

"And it took you like, _fifty tries_ to realize that?!" Daisuke covered his face with his hand and groaned. Ken removed his glasses and took a deep breath, rubbing his eyes as though he was about ready to just walk out on this exchange already.

"No!" V-Mon defended himself vigorously. "I realized it after three throws! I was just having fun after that... I tried to clean up the food on the walls, but the faucet didn't reach far enough."

" _Well,_ " Ken interjected with a mock-friendly tone of voice. "You’ll have lots of _fun_ to look forward to while you work with the cleaning crew for the next two days!"

"I really can't defend you there buddy," Daisuke said with a shrug.

"Hey!" V-Mon looked back and forth between the two humans with a frantic expression on his face. "Ken was going to make _you_ take all the blame for it and I told the truth!" V-Mon sent a harsh scowl up at his partner. "And you said he never gets over anything! _Hah_! Well I guess you were _wrong_ , weren't you? Mr. ' _Siding With The Enemy Now_ '!"

Daisuke stiffened up as Ken's glare burned into the back of his skull. He couldn’t see it but he _knew_ it was there. Daisuke took a deep breath and released it slowly, refusing to look back at the other boy. Ken was surely smart enough to figure out what he’d meant by him ‘never getting over anything.’ The fact that they were in the same kitchen where their little incident had taken place only made it that much more awkward...

"What?" V-Mon finally asked, his previously indignant expression shifting into confusion. He surely didn’t have a clue what was going on… "Oh come on!” V-Mon urged after a moment. “Whatever you did couldn't have been _that_ bad, Daisuke! I'm sure it could be a lot worse, right?"

Daisuke looked down at him with a ‘ _please shut up!_ ' expression on his face.

"What even happened?" V-Mon continued, clearly not getting the hint at all whatsoever. "Maybe I can help! Tell me, tell me, tell me! What did you do to him? Was it funny?"

"V-Mon... _please_ stop talking..." Daisuke’s voice came out higher pitched than normal as the nervousness in his chest made itself known. He still refused to look over at Ken and see what kind of horrible expression he was giving him.

"I mean..." V-Mon continued, and to Daisuke’s dismay his partner seemed to _really_ be thinking about it. "It probably happened during your slingshot fight, right? You told me you were gonna do… that… What...? Why are you both looking at me like that?"

Daisuke would have been willing to bet money that his skin had turned noticeably paler. He refused, absolutely _refused_ to say anything. With how stiff his body felt he probably wouldn't have been able to anyway.

"... Are you guys okay?" V-Mon raised an eyebrow and backed away a bit. "I was just trying to-"

Suddenly Ken walked past them and stormed out of the kitchen, the double doors banging loudly as they were thrown open.

"Ken!" Daisuke hollered as he ran out into the hallway after him. "Ken, wait!" To Daisuke’s surprise Ken actually stopped walking. He didn’t turn around or say anything though.

"Look," Daisuke spoke up before the other boy could try to leave again. "V-Mon doesn't know what happened, he wasn't rubbing it in your face or anything like that. He was just being silly and said some random stuff, that's all it was. Don’t get mad at him."

Ken still didn't turn around or speak, but he continued to stand still with his back turned. He was probably contemplating how to punish him and V-Mon further or something... Daisuke sighed loudly and shook his head.

"Come on,” Daisuke continued. “Can you just like, _nod_ or something? You know, like, _acknowledge_ what I just said? I get that you're mad but you have to take some responsibility for it too. It wasn't _all_ my fault."

"Are you _kidding_ me, or are you just _that_ stupid?" Ken finally turned around and gave him a disgusted glare. "How did I have _any_ part in that horrible situation? _You_ initiated it, _you_ didn't stop it, and _I_ had to punch you to get you off me."

"... _What_?!" Daisuke sputtered incredulously and shook his head in disbelief for a second. “You _moaned into it_! Don't you even _try_ to shove all the blame onto me!"

"That is a complete and total _lie_ ," Ken replied with a straight face even as Daisuke recoiled in frustration. "The only one who shoved anything onto someone..."

"Oh, my, _god_..." Daisuke growled as Ken continued to talk.

"... was _you_ , when you shoved yourself onto me."

" _Oh_ you pompous, lying,” - Daisuke stomped over to Ken with his fists clenched - "slithering, two-faced _piece of shit_!" Daisuke got right up in Ken’s face and seethed. "I can't believe you’re doing this right now! You kissed me back and moaned! And you touched me too, don’t think I didn’t notice! You _liked it_ and you know it! Confront it, _asshole_! _I_ have to and I don't like it either!"

"As if you didn't like it!” Ken shouted back, “You’re the one who started it, _and_ you were the one trying to climb on top of me! You don’t get to stick your tongue down my throat and say it was my fault!"

Daisuke was beyond himself. "That…! This…!” he sputtered furiously and shook his head. “This is about what we _both_ did you stupid asshole! Or better yet, let’s talk about what you _didn't_ do, such as stop me until _after_ we had already-!”

“... _WAIT_!” V-Mon shouted at the top of his lungs and flailed his arms around wildly. "Wait, wait, _wait_... You… You guys did _what_?!"

Ken growled and clenched his fists. "You are seriously the dumbest creature I have _ever_ -"

"It's not like that!" Daisuke cut off Ken's rude comment as a deep blush exploded onto his cheeks. "It was a totally horrible accident and-!"

" _DAISUKE_?!" V-Mon’s eyes widened and he took a few steps back in shock. His mouth dropped open and he blinked rapidly. " _WHAT_?! I thought you wanted to kiss Hikari! You kiss the ones you love, that's what you told me before! This doesn't make any sense!”

"Damn it, V-Mon, _I know_!" Daisuke covered his face with his hands. "It doesn't make sense to me either!"

"What a waste of time." Ken turned and proceeded to walk away. "Both of you clean up the damned kitchen! And Motomiya, stay out of my sight! I hate seeing your face!"

"Oh yeah, _real_ smart there, Ken!" Daisuke hollered back down the hallway as loud as he could so that Ken would definitely hear him. "You ' _hate my face_!’ I bet that took you a whole _half a second_ to come up with! Got any more amazing comments, _genius_?!"

"How humorous it is to have my intelligence questioned by a _slithering insect_!" Ken's faraway voice was the last thing he heard before they were out of earshot. Daisuke growled and kicked the floor in frustration. Why did everything have to suck _so much_?! Stupid Ken! Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!

"So... Kissing is like punching?" V-Mon scratched the top of his head. "Like when you give people a punch on the shoulder to say ‘hey buddy!’ But you also punch your enemies... So you can kiss anyone, basically?"

"No... No, V-Mon..." Daisuke sighed and shook his head. "You only kiss the ones you love."

"So you love _Ken_?!" V-Mon gasped and looked utterly appalled.

"No! I don't love Ken! I love Hikari!" Daisuke felt his heart rate increasing. He felt nervous for some reason, as though V-Mon was about to call him out on something. He didn’t think his partner was trying to do anything more than figure out what the heck was going on, but Daisuke couldn’t quite shake the fear in his chest.

"Then why did you kiss him?!" V-Mon’s question was simple and yet it made Daisuke’s head spin.

" _I don’t know_!" Daisuke shouted the only thing he could think of, throwing his arms up in the air and clutching at his hair. He was so confused… He really _didn’t_ know why he’d done it!

It was silent between them for a while, V-Mon looking just as lost as Daisuke felt. The poor digimon had barely understood what a kiss was before all of this and now he probably had no idea anymore. Nothing made sense, and Daisuke had no idea how to explain it to him. His head was starting to hurt, Ken was a huge asshole, the base sucked and was _stupid_ , and now he was going to have to clean up the huge mess in the kitchen that he hadn’t even made!

Daisuke turned and marched into the kitchen to try and just get it over with, V-Mon following silently behind him.

********************

Takeru walked quietly into the school's computer room where Hikari was, Miyako and Iori having already gone ahead to scout for signs of Ken in the Digital World. Hikari was at the computer they used and was searching for any new black squares on the map.

Koushiro had done a very thorough inspection of the mountains they were interested in and had finally pinpointed the best entrance into the area. Ken would surely pass between the two largest peaks, and at that point an electric net that they'd spent the last week making would entangle anything it touched. If Ken was there as they expected, then it would paralyze him, his base, and any digimon guards nearby. It was a good plan and Takeru could only hope that it would all work out as intended.

“Any signs of them?” Takeru asked as he stood beside Hikari’s computer chair.

"Not yet..." Hikari sighed sadly, dragging the mouse around to make the map move. "Ken really hasn’t done much since he took Daisuke. What does that mean? Is he hurting him? I’m really worried… What if Daisuke gets hurt during our attack?"

"Hikari…” Takeru placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Any attempt we make to save him is going to put him in danger. There’s nothing we can do about that."

"I know,” Hikari stopped working at the computer and folded her hands into her lap. "I Just… I know that I'm needed in the Digital World to help protect it, and that’s what I want to do. I want to save lives, but I hate fighting... I just don’t know if I can make the tough decisions that are about to come up.” She looked up at him with sad eyes. “Something will surely go wrong, nothing ever goes perfectly. Daisuke could get really hurt, and… I guess I wonder why I was chosen sometimes."

"Hikari!" Takeru knelt down beside her so that their faces were at a more even level. "The reason you were chosen is because you care so much! You keep us strong with your light and support, and you work so hard to protect us! What would we do without you? You're being way too hard on yourself."

"Taichi says that a lot." Hikari smiled softly, though there wasn’t much happiness in it. “I envy Daisuke to be honest."

"Huh?" Takeru frowned.

"He's so strong," Hikari replied. "If our places were switched, if it were me captured and him trying to save me, he'd never get depressed like this. He'd just say, _'don't give up guys!_ '” Hikari clenched her fist and raised it up in a Daisuke fashion. “‘ _We can do it!_ ’ Or he’d just run off and we’d have to chase after him and figure out what he’s trying to do.” She laughed and shook her head, “Or something like that… And he'd mean it, too. It wouldn't be forced at all. He’d really know we could do it."

Takeru laughed a bit and shook his head. He stood back up and leaned against the computer desk. “I know what you mean. I try to be as positive as I can, but I can’t always do what he does either. That’s just Daisuke. He’s got something special that keeps us all moving forward, you know? I don’t think anyone but Taichi has his spirit, so it’s silly to compare ourselves to him.”

Hikari smiled more genuinely this time. “You’re right, Takeru.”

Hikari... She had one of the biggest hearts in the entire world, and she also seemed to have the most shadows. By nature she was a shining ball of light that could break through any amount of darkness, except the darkness she created for herself. Darkness itself seemed to make a point of targeting her too... The contrasting shadows in her heart drained her a lot, and it just wasn’t fair that she had to deal with it so much more than anyone else did.

But then again, wasn’t that what Gennai had always told them? Light and dark existed together - the brighter the light, the bigger the shadows. It made a sad amount of sense why Hikari was haunted by so many insecurities.

"It'll get better," Takeru said with a smile, and he found himself believing in his words fully. "Once we get Daisuke back - and we _will_ get him back! - we'll stop Ken and save the Digital World. But you have to believe in that too. I mean, come on… Daisuke’s way too stubborn to submit! I bet Ken's so sick of him that he’s pulling his own hair out by now."

Hikari laughed, "You're right. I'm sorry for being such a downer sometimes. I bet Daisuke's driving him nuts in there!"

"Oh you know he is!” Takeru laughed as well. “I can practically hear Ken's screaming from here!" He placed his hand back on her shoulder as she turned back toward the computer again, seeming much happier now than she had  been a few moments ago.

Takeru forced himself to ignore the sourness that had been secretly filling his chest during their conversation. Of course Hikari was worried about Daisuke. He was their friend and he was in danger - everyone was scared for him. So it was totally unacceptable and inappropriate of him to feel even a tiny bit jealous over her strong concern for him. He would not acknowledge it.

Jealousy was poison of the worst kind, and it had no place in his life. No matter what happened he wouldn't let it taint their friendship. Even if it turned out that Hikari cared about Daisuke as more than a friend, which he honestly doubted, Takeru wouldn’t let it control him.

If only he could get Daisuke to do the same for him.

********************

Daisuke sighed and stared up at the ceiling over his bed. He hadn't seen Ken in over a day. He’d probably locked himself in the control room so he could avoid him easier or something. Not that Daisuke was doing much better... He'd been going out of his way to stay in his room as much as possible. Deep down he knew that it wasn't the right thing to do though. He needed to confront this and start figuring out what was going on.

Who was Ken to him? Why had he kissed him? So many questions…

Well for starters, Ken was a tyrant who was trying to destroy the Digital World, and he was someone that Daisuke had sworn to defeat. And yet Daisuke continued to hang out in the base. Instead of spending his time stopping Ken from making progress, he was helping him feel less stressed out and _apparently_ making out with him too. What was he _doing_?

And while he was at it, why was Ken allowing it to happen? Really, he could have just tied him up and locked him in the dungeons by now. He’d honestly expected him to. Even after the incident with the self-destruct it was just strange the way Ken tolerated his behavior.

Daisuke’s fingertips reached up to touch his lips. Regardless of all that stuff, that had been his first kiss. He'd dated a few girls before but he’d never kissed them. Even if they wanted to he'd always stop and think about Hikari, and how he wanted to save that for her. Sooner or later the girl would break up with him for not moving on, and he didn't blame them for it. They deserved better than that.

_'I didn't even think of her.'_ Daisuke took in a shaky breath as he finally confronted the truth that he'd been avoiding since all of this confusion had started. _'She didn't cross my mind even once.'_

He and Ken weren't friends by any means, but he really couldn't consider them sworn enemies anymore. Enemies didn't help each other, and they most _certainly_ didn’t kiss each other. So were they just rivals now? No, that didn’t feel right either… Did they have feelings for each other? Was that why he’d kissed him? But he loved Hikari...

Daisuke put his face in his hands and groaned out his frustration.

If he was someone like Takeru he'd probably already understand what was going on. Why was it so much harder for him? He didn't even have anyone he could talk to about it, so he had to either figure it out by himself or just never understand. V-Mon knew even less than he did, and Ken definitely wasn't going to be any help. The other Chosen would just be disgusted with him if they ever found out, and...

Daisuke frowned sadly and laid his hands back down over his chest. The others... He'd betrayed them. No matter how he spun it, he was a traitor for doing this. He’d made out with the enemy! Could they ever forgive him? Should he even tell them about it? He could just keep it to himself... No one needed to know, did they?

The memory of his last interaction with Ken came to mind and suddenly he felt very angry. That _asshole_! How could Ken act like he’d had no part in it?! He was just denying it publicly to save face! Ken knew _damn well_ that he'd liked it! He was just being a _jerk_!

_'I liked it, too...'_ Daisuke put his arm over his face and just wanted to evaporate. He didn’t like the Kaiser at all, and that _was_ true. He was an evil, psychotic bastard, and yet he’d kissed him anyway. But when he really looked back to that moment, Ken hadn’t really been the Kaiser. He was more like the Ken from the real world. He had smiled and he was laughing, and he was a lot nicer. That person, whoever he was… That’s who he’d kissed, _not_ the Kaiser!

“Damn it!” Daisuke cursed and sat up. If he was willing to confront all of this upsetting crap then Ken had to do it too!

Daisuke got up and stormed out of his bedroom, stomping angrily down the hall before V-Mon came back to ask him where he was going. His adrenalin caused him to reach the control room a lot quicker than he’d expected.

"Let me in!" Daisuke shouted at the guards.

"Are you an idiot?" one of the Gorimon said as its fists clenched. "You know we can't do that. We’ll just make you leave if we have to."

"I need to talk to that _jackass_ in there!" Daisuke got ready to try and sprint between them. He knew they’d grab him and drag him to the dungeons or something, but maybe if he was fast enough he could get through the door first. It was probably locked, but it was still worth a shot.

"No, we will not disobey orders!" the other Gorimon shouted at him. "You've gotten us in more than enough trouble already! Now go away!"

"I'm not leaving until you let me in!" Daisuke prepared himself, taking a small step back to get some momentum. “I don’t care if-!

"Let him in!" Ken's voice sounded over the intercom in the hallway, followed by a loud clicking sound as the control room doors were unlocked. Everyone outside stared at each other in confusion before the Gorimon finally grumbled and moved aside.

Daisuke walked into the control room, and the moment he stepped inside the sound of the doors shutting and locking automatically behind him echoed loudly in the otherwise silent room. Ken must have installed the locks recently because Daisuke was certain he’d never used them before.

Suddenly Daisuke realized that he didn’t even know what he wanted to say now that he was there. The control room was completely dark other than a single monitor which was lit up in front of Ken's throne chair. It showed the security feed for the hallway right outside the room, the guards mumbling to each other and shuffling back into position.

Daisuke cleared his throat and took a few steps forward, stopping right in the middle of the room. Right... he was there because Ken was being a coward and trying to deny the truth! It was bullshit and he was sick of it!

Daisuke opened his mouth to speak, but as soon as Ken rose to his feet, whatever he'd been about to say was wiped from his mind. The Kaiser turned around and leaned against the panels nearby, looking him straight in the face. A few moments of silence passed before Ken sighed.

"So," Ken’s eyes were hidden behind his glasses but his furrowed eyebrows made it clear that he was glaring. "You create a huge commotion in the hallway and distract me from my work, and then _as soon as_ I let you in here to explain what your problem is, you decide to be quiet."

Daisuke glared back, the words he'd wanted to say coming back to him now. "Yeah, well it pisses me off that you're denying what happened between us!" He let his words flow out freely. "I-I mean... Not that anything is _going on_ between us..." Possibly too freely. "It's just that _whatever_ happened, you had a part in it too!"

"Is that so?" Ken asked in a very bored tone of voice.

"Yes, _that's so_!" Daisuke sighed exasperatedly. How was he going to make Ken confront this, exactly? He really hadn't thought this through at all...

"Well you're a moron, and you're wrong,” Ken stated flatly. “So you can go now."

"Why did I expect you to be anything less than a complete coward about this?" Daisuke was almost more upset at himself for thinking he’d get anywhere this way than he was at Ken for being such a stubborn jerk about it. “You’re an _idiot_!”

"Excuse me?" Ken clenched his fists in irritation, which made Daisuke grin. Well at least he took _that_ seriously! When in doubt, target his intelligence.

Ken took a step forward and snarled, "How _dare_ you call me-!”

"Ichijouji Ken!" Daisuke cut the other boy off with a shout. "You are a moron and a coward! You’re too much of a _scared little kid_ to face reality!"

"That's because _nothing happened_!" Ken shouted back. "You are a fool, my enemy, and on top of all that, _a boy_! Why would I have wanted anything to do with you?"

"You think it's different for me?!" Daisuke almost wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of all this. “You’re like, the worst person ever! You’re _my_ enemy too, you know! And it's not like you're any less of a boy, but at least I'm not hiding behind a huge sack of _denial_!"

"So you're gay?" Ken asked in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice.

Daisuke opened his mouth to shout insults back, but he caught himself before he'd made a sound. No, he wasn't going to just angrily deny everything that was said to him like Ken was doing. He needed to stay true to himself.

“I…” Daisuke started, but he quickly found that he didn’t know what he wanted to say yet. Were there really any 'right words' here? The only thing he actually knew was that he _did_ like girls. He'd liked them before their incident and he still did now. But guys? He'd never liked another male before in any way other than friendship. But no matter how much he hated it, he _had_ enjoyed kissing Ken. The idea of doing that with any other guy, though... No, it wasn't appealing at all.

So he didn't really like other guys but he liked Ken? But he _didn’t_ like Ken! That was the reason why this was all so hard to understand!

"I don't know..." Daisuke finally just gave up and answered honestly. "This is way too confusing for me to figure out on the spot right now."

"Well if you're having confusing sexual urges, don't take it out on me," Ken turned around to go back to his work at the control panels.

Daisuke let out a growl, " _Agh,_ I don’t know why I bothered thinking you’d use your brain for once! And I don't like you at all, you can _count_ on that! If it happened again I'm sure I'd find it disgusting now! Maybe I was high on chemicals from your stupid base or something!"

"My base does not excrete chemicals," Ken looked back and glared, his furrowed eyebrows visible over his glasses. "And for the record I don't like males _or_ females. Everyone is worthless, _especially_ you, so your gay feelings for me are disgusting and entirely unwelcome."

Ken stiffened up as Daisuke stomped over to him and glared. Daisuke got right up in his face and growled. “You. _Liked_. it!” Daisuke pointed at him and seethed slowly.

Ken didn’t back away at all, his voice coming out just as firm, "No, _you_ liked it!"

Daisuke growled viciously, his emotions overpowering his senses. His frustration was so high that his whole body was shaking. This was complete and utter _bullshit_! Ken wasn’t getting away with this! Daisuke would fucking _prove it_ if he had to!

Before he could calm down enough to realize the many flaws in his plan, he had already grabbed Ken's shoulders and slammed him down against the consoles. Daisuke threw the Kaiser’s glasses off his face and smashed their lips together. He moved between Ken’s legs and held his wrists down above his head. He would win this argument! He was going to _win_ , damn it!

The need to be right propelled him into sliding his tongue forward and into Ken’s mouth. There really wasn't any noticeable taste, but the action alone was exciting enough. He let his free hand slide under the Kaiser's lower back so he could pull him closer.

Ken's body relaxed a bit. He hadn't kissed back but just like the last time, he had yet to say no or try to push Daisuke away. He hadn’t even tried to pull his arms out of his grasp yet.

Daisuke kept himself prepared for if Ken _did_ try to punch him again or something, but his mind was getting foggy. He was finally starting to question the logic in what he was doing until Ken started kissing him back. Daisuke immediately lowered his guard and gave in to the sensations when he felt Ken’s tongue sliding against his own.

Suddenly the room spun as Ken flipped him around, breaking the kiss and pressing Daisuke down against the consoles now. Daisuke didn’t get the chance to figure out what was happening before he felt Ken’s tongue back in his mouth, and strong hands gripping tightly at Daisuke’s sides to hold him in place.

Daisuke bit Ken’s lip, enjoying the hiss he got in return. His cheeks were hot and he was starting to get really sweaty. He felt a sense of accomplishment in the back of his mind but he really didn’t know why anymore. He’d just proven… something…

Ken’s hands moved down to his hips and Daisuke groaned, reaching up to grab firmly at Ken’s hair. He bit his lip again, and when Ken pulled away Daisuke took the opportunity to get back into control. He pushed Ken down onto the floor and straddled over him. Ken arched his chest up as Daisuke licked at his neck and sucked on the skin.

“D-Daisuke…” Ken panted and reached up to grab at Daisuke’s hair, pulling down on it hard. Daisuke winced a bit but he found that something about the pain was exciting. Suddenly Ken’s nails were digging into his back, so Daisuke sucked on the skin harder. He’d surely left a massive welt on his skin now, and something about it caused a feral growl to bubble out of Daisuke’s throat.

Ken gasped when Daisuke ground their thighs together, creating a rocking motion between them. Ken’s hands loosened from his hair and he shivered from the contact. Daisuke grinned triumphantly-

Suddenly the base shook violently and a loud rumbling sound echoed down the corridors. Daisuke gasped and rolled over onto the hard cement floor beside Ken. Alarms blared and red lights flashed as both boys were forced back to reality.

"What?!" Ken shouted breathlessly as he climbed back up onto his feet and ran over to the control panels.

Daisuke sat up as well and looked around for a screen that might show what was happening. On top of feeling dizzy and light headed, now he also felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. He forced himself back up to his feet and hurried over to where Ken was at to try and look over his shoulder. Right when he got there though, Ken slammed his fists down on the panels.

" _You_!" Ken growled and grabbed Daisuke around the collar. "You were distracting me so that your friends could get me in a trap! When did you find a way to communicate with them?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Daisuke gasped and shoved Ken away.

"You did that just now so I wouldn't be paying attention!" Ken shouted as the base shook again, both of them having to grab onto the console to stay on their feet. The lights flickered off and on repeatedly, only making it harder to see.

"That’s not true!" Daisuke shook his head furiously at the false accusations. “I was trying to… to prove something, and I-!"

" _Prove_ something?!" Ken cut him off, his voice high pitched and cracking in disbelief. "Prove _what_?! Oh don't tell me, let me _guess_." Ken stalked forward, Daisuke backing away defensively. "You wanted to _prove_ that you don't have sexual feelings for me, and that you aren't gay. Well _great job_! You sure _showed me_!"

"Hey!" Daisuke had to grab onto the console again as the base was rocked once more. "What was it you moaned on the floor there?! _'D-Daisuke...!_ ' Oh yeah, I bet you’re _so_ not attracted to me! Or were you just too _turned on_ to remember that?!"

"I hate you!" Ken’s voice came out in hysterics. "I hate you _so much_! Shut up!" The Kaiser reached into a drawer and pulled out his new Bio Ring - “Just _shut_ …!” - and before Daisuke could react he shoved it around his neck without warning, "... _up_!"

Daisuke gasped and dropped to his knees as an unbearable ringing sound exploding in his ears. Hundreds of commands were filling his mind all at once, and he had to reach up and grab his head to try and steady himself. He whimpered as his vision blurred and his body started shaking uncontrollably. Blood started clogging in his throat and he had to cough it up painfully to keep himself from choking on it. The copper tasting liquid splattered onto the floor by his knees.

Suddenly there were numbers flashing before his eyes and the urge to submit was tugging at his mind. All at once his body was too weak to control and he fell over onto his side. Daisuke slowly looked up at Ken and tried to focus on the other boy’s face through the haze. The whole room spun for a moment, but he could still see him. Daisuke reached an arm out toward Ken in desperation.

"K-Ken... help!" Daisuke begged as the room gave another disorienting spin, and most of Ken's features were lost to him. "Ken! I can’t… I can’t see! Take it off!” Daisuke started to hyperventilate when the numbers came back over his eyes. “ _Take it off! Please!_ "

Daisuke grabbed at the ring and tried to pull it free, but it only choked down on his neck harder until he was gagging and gasping for air. It loosened as soon as he let go but remained firmly attached. He started to panic and sob, curling up into a ball on the floor.

His mind suddenly shifted and changed, and he was laughing hysterically within seconds. The desire to just give up and submit was back, and he found it rather soothing now.

Daisuke whimpered and gasped from the effort to stop cackling. He looked around the room and found Ken again, getting up on his hands and knees and trying his best to crawl over to him. He couldn’t see him very well, but it was almost as though Ken was backing away from him now.

"... suke... Daisuke?" Ken's voice floated quietly into his ears, but it continued to rise in volume and repeat itself over and over again in his head. The voice became so loud that Daisuke couldn't stand it, and he finally screamed at the top of his lungs as he covered his ears. He stopped crawling and rocked back and forth on his knees as the voice turned to the sound of static instead. The cacophony of noises was making his head throb so bad that it felt like it might explode.

And then everything stopped.

Daisuke felt his head hit the floor and his body go completely limp. There were no more sounds, there was no more pain, and there were no more things to see. All that remained were a few streaks of colors that were circling around in front of his eyes. Finally the desire to just submit was too strong and he stopped fighting altogether.

The last thing Daisuke saw was the look of shocked horror on the Kaiser's face before everything went black.


	10. Hollow Victory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm
> 
> Author's Note:Massive shout out to Kitsune23, Iamyourlight and Kyoukiuchiha who all worked together to cosplay a scene from this chapter! It's absolutely amazing, I never expected to get such an awesome Tumblr notification first thing in the morning! [Set 1](https://trippnessa.tumblr.com/post/161589508035/kitsune23-the-kaiser-reached-into-a-drawer-and) / [Set 2](https://trippnessa.tumblr.com/post/161589506025/kitsune23-ken-stared-down-at-the-motionless-boy) / [Set 3](https://trippnessa.tumblr.com/post/161589499705/kitsune23-kens-arms-were-shaking-as-he-knelt). Here are some more pictures from their photo shoot that aren't necessarily from a particular scene, but are just as fabulous! [Set 1](https://trippnessa.tumblr.com/post/161589511340/kitsune23-first-pictures-of-our-daiken-shooting) / [Set 2](https://trippnessa.tumblr.com/post/160735764550/kitsune23-kitsune23-and-there-it-is-the)

Hikari sighed from atop Nefertimon. She hated lying… She always did her best to avoid it, but there were times when a lie had to be told in order to help another. In the middle of class she’d received an emergency email from Koushiro saying that something had crashed into their trap. She’d simply had no choice at that point but to pretend to faint so that she could leave class and meet up with everyone.

It had been very hard to predict Ken’s movements, and he’d arrived much sooner than anticipated. Koushiro told them to head over there as soon as possible, and so far only she, Takeru, Miyako, Iori and Taichi had confirmed that they were on their way. She prayed that more would show up.

Eventually the two mountain peaks were in sight, but something was wrong. What _should_ have been there was a large electric net stretched out between the two mountain tops, sparking and holding whatever it had caught inside. The net was only supposed to shoot out if Ken's D3 signal passed between the peaks. It would drain all of the electronics from the base and stun any digimon it touched. However...

"Nothing?" Takeru asked out loud. The group quickly landed at the base of the mountains. They looked around for any signs of the enemy, but found nothing at all. Even the net itself was missing.

Hikari felt her heart sink. This was terrible! This was supposed to be their chance to finally rescue Daisuke and this was all they were met with?

"What happened?!" Iori exclaimed, taking the words right out of her mouth.

“Koushiro says the net definitely deployed... Ken should be here…” Miyako spoke distractedly as she continued to read Koushiro’s message on her D-Terminal. “It wouldn't have activated without him passing through... He can't have gone far…” She stuffed the device back into her pocket after that. “Ugh, this sucks!”

"But..." Hikari turned to face Miyako. "Do you think Ken found a way to rip through the net?"

"It was way too strong for that," Takeru said and shook his head. "We tested it so many times, it couldn't have just been torn apart! Especially not if it was draining power from the base like it should have been."

"Could a digimon have done it?" Iori asked as he scratched his chin in thought. "Ken has some pretty formidable slaves on his side."

" _All_ of our evolved digimon worked together to try and tear it," Takeru reminded him. "As long as the energy was flowing through the net it shouldn't have been able to be destroyed."

“Maybe something shorted out the electricity?” Hikari offered.

"Well, Koushiro should be on his way..." Miyako sighed and crossed her arms. "In the meantime I think we should look around for where Ken might have gone. Better than just sitting around here."

"Right," Takeru said with a nod. "Hikari and I will go-"

"There's no need for that.”

Everyone gasped as soon as they turned around and saw who had spoken. Daisuke - the very last person that Hikari had been expecting to see - was walking toward them. His clothes were the same as when he’d been captured except for his goggles, which were broken on his forehead. He had his D3 clipped to his pants and he looked completely unhurt.

Daisuke stopped moving, leaving a good distance between them.

Hikari stiffened up nervously. Something wasn’t right… Daisuke’s face held no emotion, and the way he stood was strange. There was nothing natural about his posture, it was much too upright for him. His voice was empty as well, and his eyes were cold.

Something was very wrong. Why wouldn't he come closer to them? After being a prisoner in Ken's base for months, the Daisuke she knew would already be hugging them.

"Daisuke!" Miyako exclaimed with a smile as she ran toward him. "You escaped!"

"Wait!" Hikari stepped forward and reached out to try and grab her, but she was already too far away.

"Miyako, stop!" Takeru darted after her, and Hikari could tell that he had sensed the same things in Daisuke that she already had.

"What's the matter?" Iori's question reached Hikari’s ears, but she wasn't really listening. Right as Miyako was about to reach Daisuke, Hikari saw his arm move and suddenly she knew what was going to happen.

“Miyako!” Hikari yelled out to her, but it wasn’t enough to stop the back of Daisuke's hand from striking hard against her face. Miyako was sent to the ground with a loud shriek and a horrible slap from the impact of his hand on her cheek. Takeru slid in the dirt and caught her just before she hit the ground, coughing as dirt lifted up into the air and clouded around them.

Hikari pulled the D3 out of her pocket and clenched it hard, her knuckles turning white. This wasn't happening... This just couldn't be happening! It was a bad dream or a Bakemon in disguise, it had to be!

“Daisuke!” Iori called out in disbelief. “What are you doing?!”

Miyako whimpered and sat up as she held her wound. As she checked her hand for blood, Takeru got back up to his feet with his fists clenched.

"Get away from him!" Hikari called out as soon as her eyes moved to Daisuke’s neck. Underneath the collar of his shirt was a black choker with strange glowing runes. She would have known exactly what that was from a mile away. "Look at his neck! There’s some kind of dark ring!"

The digimon tensed up and seemed to prepare for a possible fight. Hikari couldn't wrap her mind around this. They weren't seriously going to fight _Daisuke_ were they?! The point of this mission was to _rescue_ him, not hurt him!

An eerie silence settled in the mountains as the other Chosen found what Hikari had been referring to. No one spoke or moved, not even Daisuke. Small sounds nearby sounded ten times as loud in the awkwardness, until Iori finally managed to snap out of his daze.

"D-Dark rings don't work on humans!” Iori seemed to be talking more to himself than anyone else. “That can't be what it is!"

"W-Why else would Daisuke h-hit Miyako?" Hikari tried to calm herself down, but she failed miserably as her voice came out shivering. This was worse than anything she could have imagined. She knew that something would probably surprise them, but _this_?! If Daisuke was being controlled by a ring then did that mean Ken could enslave _everyone_? Did Daisuke have more of these rings on him somewhere? They were in serious danger!

" _Ken_!" Nefertimon hollered out into the mountains. "Come out here you abomination!"

Miyako stood up suddenly, glaring at Daisuke as she stomped forward. "You are _so_ lucky I'm willing to blame that smack on Ken instead of you!” Even as Takeru held her back she continued shouting. “Don’t you recognize us?! Don’t listen to that stupid ring!”

"I recognize you," Daisuke replied, his voice just as empty as it was before. "You are Inoue Miyako, and that is Takaishi Takeru. You are both enemies to our master, so it is our job to destroy you."

Before anyone could question his use of the word 'our,' a tall creature came out from behind one of the rocks near Daisuke and stood beside him. Hikari was sadly unsurprised to find that it had been Fladramon to join him with a dark ring around his neck as well.

"Daisuke, wake up!" Iori shouted and pulled out his D3. " _Ken_ is your enemy, not us! You're a Chosen! Don't let that thing confuse you!"

"Discussion is pointless," Daisuke said matter-of-factly and snapped his fingers. There was a loud screech as an army of Airdramon, Unimon, Drimogemon, Centalmon and Devidramon came out from various hiding spots nearby, all with dark rings on their bodies. There appeared to be around twenty enemies, and only four of them.

"Daisuke!" Takeru moved around Miyako so they could see each other better. "Look at me! Do you remember when you first met V-Mon? You were happy that you could help Taichi and the rest of us. You wanted to stop the Kaiser from hurting anyone else. Ken is just using you, he’s not your ally!"

"I see that nothing will convince you to join us," Daisuke continued without acknowledging anything that had just been said to him. The enslaved digimon stalked closer to them with their eyes glowing red. Daisuke began walking forward as well, Takeru and Miyako immediately backing away. "So…” Daisuke continued. “We'll just have to kill you instead."

Suddenly Takeru lunged forward and tried to grab at the dark ring around Daisuke’s neck. However, the moment his hands touched it there was an explosion of white light. Takeru screamed as electricity sparked and spread out over his body, and he fell to the ground in a shivering heap.

“No!” Hikari cried out and ran toward him, but before she could reach him all of the slaves rushed forward and got in the way. One of the Devidramon dropped down and picked Daisuke up onto its back, flying back up into the air and away from the fight. Fladramon stayed put though, appearing to be waiting for an order from his partner.

"Watch out!" Hikari called out to the others as she frantically tried to think of a plan. She had to get everyone away from this place before they were all-!

"Oh, _Hikari_ ," Daisuke's sarcasm echoed down from above the battlefield. When she looked up to meet his gaze, an eerie chuckle escaping his lips, she saw nothing familiar looking back. "Let me show you just _how much_ you mean to me."

"Holy Shot!" three Unimon suddenly broke away from the group and surrounded her, all of them firing at the same time.

Hikari turned and ran away from the large balls of energy as fast as she could. The ground exploded around her and rumbled, her body jerking from the force and sending her crashing against the nearby cliff. She landed on her stomach atop a large rock, a sharp pain searing through her gut. She coughed and gagged as dirt was kicked up into the air, getting into her lungs and making it hard to see.

Through the haze, Hikari managed to see more lights coming at her. She leapt back up and ran forward along the cliff wall. Once again the ground near her crumbled and blew out, many large pieces of rock slamming into her back. She winced and covered her head with her arms, stumbling and closing her eyes as she ran blindly.

" _Hikari_!" Nefertimon called out, but two of the attacking Unimon blocked her path. She tried to get around them but they rammed, bit and stabbed at her - anything to keep Nefertimon from reaching her partner. The third Unimon continued after Hikari.

Suddenly Hikari realized what Daisuke was doing. His strategy wasn't to beat up their digimon like Ken always did, but to instead hold them off long enough for a few of the slaves to slip away and kill _them_ , the human Chosen themselves. They were the real source of their digimon's power, after all. Even though Ken surely had that knowledge, he'd never truly acknowledged the partnerships between them.

Worse yet, Daisuke seemed to be a lot more willing to cut to the chase and kill them without playing games first. He wouldn't underestimate them as easily as the Kaiser always had.

"Spread Neigh!"

Hikari screamed as two large blades of wind slammed into the cliff on either side of her. She threw her arms up in front of her protectively as the blades nearly cut her in half, one of them tearing a large hole in the side of her shirt from the close proximity.

"Horn Thrust!"

Hikari dove to the ground as the Unimon’s sharp, glowing horn rammed into the cliffside where her torso had just been. She quickly rolled underneath as it tried to stomp on her with its back hooves. As soon as she got out, she got back up on her feet.

She was barely able to start running again before the Unimon's back legs slammed into her, flinging her body against the rocks. She groaned and coughed up blood as her body hit the ground again. She ached too much to get back up now, and she knew that trying to crawl away was pointless. The Unimon was faster than her even when she was running.

"Holy Shot!"

Hikari used the last of her strength to curl up into the fetal position on the ground and cover her head with her arms. The sound of an explosion came as expected, but to her surprise there was no pain. Was she dead…?

As soon as she opened her eyes she gasped and felt a surge of relief. Greymon was standing protectively in front of her, having taken the hit.

" _Hikari_!" Taichi's voice was a welcome change of sound as he raced over to her and scooped her up off the ground, carrying her away from the fight as quickly as he could. As soon as they made it behind a large rock, her stomach started aching terribly. All the running had jostled her around a lot more than her body could really handle at the moment.

Taichi set her down gently and leaned her up against the back of the rock, and it was then that she realized Jyou and Gomamon were there as well. Jyou quickly pulled a bottle of disinfectant out of the large first aid kit he'd brought with and poured some of the liquid onto a rag. He began dabbing her bleeding wounds with it and she did her best to ignore the harsh sting.

"The others..." Hikari coughed and cringed as a sharp pain shot up her throat.

"They're fine," Jyou cut her off quickly before she could speak anymore. "One of the Drimogemon collapsed Iori and Miyako into a pit. Yamato and Garurumon managed to distract them, but Iori twisted his ankle really bad in the fall.”

“Takeru’s fine,” Taichi added quickly before she even had the chance to ask. “Pegasmon got to him in time. They were trying to find you but they couldn’t reach you fast enough because of all the Airdramon, so Jyou and I snuck over here while the enemies were distracted."

"What about…” Hikari trailed off, having to take deep breaths between words. “Sora and..."

"They're here now," Jyou cut her off again. "Sora is helping Takeru, and Koushiro’s in the real world trying to find Ken. We tried to get Mimi to come but she's asleep."

"Yeah..." Taichi gave a guilty smile. "We forgot that it's still night time in America. I think I pissed her dad off when I called... I left a bunch of messages on her D-Terminal though, so we'll see if she gets them."

Jyou pulled a bottle of water out of his bag and handed it to Hikari. She drank it quickly, the cold liquid soothing her raw throat. She wasn't completely healed but at least she felt a bit better now.

"Thanks," Hikari sat up more as Taichi received a message on his D-Terminal. He quickly pulled it out and read over it.

"I need to get out there," Taichi glanced out onto the battlefield and then back over to Hikari as he put the device back in his pocket. "I know you'll want to come with, but you need to stay here with Jyou."

"But...!" Hikari began, but she couldn't finish her sentence because her throat started hurting again. She gave in at that point. Even if she could stand, it didn't mean she could run. She’d only be a liability like this. "Okay," She nodded sadly, and Taichi quickly ran around the rock and out of sight. The others needed him a lot more now than her.

"It'll be okay!" Gomamon smiled reassuringly as Jyou pulled some more bandages and gauze out of his bag. "Nefertimon is out there so you're still helping!"

"You're right," Hikari nodded and smiled finally, hoping that Nefertimon and the others would be able to capture Daisuke before anyone else got hurt.

Looking up at the sky, she held back the tears that were tugging at her eyes. What Daisuke had said to her before he attacked... She didn’t blame him and she knew he hadn’t meant it, but she could only imagine how he would feel once this was all over.

********************

Taichi tried to think as he and Greymon ran through the rubble, the Unimon having been knocked out finally. He needed to orient himself… He was pretty sure that Iori and Miyako were still down in that pit. He needed to try and get them out somehow. Everything beyond that was just too chaotic to keep track of anymore. He knew a few of the enemies’ dark rings had been removed now, but not enough to tip the scales yet. There were just so many more enemies than there were Chosen!

Upon reaching the edge of the battlefield, Taichi scanned over the scene as quickly as he could. It was hard to see anything through the explosions of energy and all the dust in the air, but it looked like everyone was still okay. Alright, they needed a plan!

"Greymon," Taichi turned to his partner. "We need to get Iori and Miyako to safety, that’s the first priority. So let's-"

"Hello, Taichi."

Taichi spun around as a familiar voice came from behind them. A bittersweet emotion filled his heart when he saw Daisuke and Fladramon standing side by side just a few feet away. He immediately noticed Daisuke’s neck, and sure enough the dark ring that Miyako had described in her message was plain to see. It looked a bit different, but not enough that it wasn’t easily recognizable.

It was so hard to believe that Ken had actually managed to make one that worked on a human, and yet there was the proof standing right in front of him. It wasn't that digimon were any less real than they were, but unlike humans their bodies were made entirely of data. Taichi didn't know the first thing about how the dark rings worked, but he did know that data could be altered and rewritten. How Ken had managed to alter Daisuke’s biological, human mind, he had no idea. It was sick...

"Ironic, isn't it?" Daisuke appeared to be taunting him, but his voice was so void of emotion that it didn’t sound right. He and Fladramon began walking slowly around Taichi and Greymon like predators. "You were my hero once, and now I couldn't care less. In fact, I find you quite pathetic. That's why I've decided to destroy you personally."

"You sure about that?" Taichi’s eyes narrowed as they followed Daisuke carefully. "You should know that Greymon and I won’t hold back in a fight, not even against you if it’s to protect the others."

"I think you're going to try and capture me, and then take me to where you can remove the ring." Daisuke pulled his D3 out of his pocket. "I won't allow that."

"So you acknowledge that you have a dark ring on?" Taichi frowned, even more confused now than before. "You know that it's controlling you?"

"Controlling me?" Daisuke chuckled a bit, the sound making Taichi's stomach turn. "Don't be foolish. It has enlightened me to the fact that everything I fought for in the past was pointless. Everything I used to believe in was all false. Master Ken is the only thing worth living for, and you are the real enemies. Removing the ring would make me forget what I have learned, and I cannot allow that."

"Ken made you think that, did he?" Taichi verbally spat, his hatred for the Kaiser increasing even more than before. "I see you're wearing the goggles I gave you."

"Yes," Daisuke smirked. "I thought the broken lenses represented our new relationship quite well."

"Ken is a sick bastard," Taichi growled and glared at the shattered lenses of the goggles that had once belonged to him. "I’ll make him pay for this."

"Well..." Daisuke trailed off as he finished circling them, once again directly in front of Taichi and Greymon. "Then I guess we have nothing left to talk about."

Fladramon lunged at Greymon with a loud shout, “Fire Rocket!” The blade on Fladramon’s helmet hit Greymon square in the chest, and the force of the impact caused him to slide back into the cliffside.

Fladramon kicked off against Greymon's chest and flew backward. Greymon quickly spun around and whipped at Fladramon with his tail. Still in the air, Fladramon was unable to dodge the attack so instead he grabbed onto the tail itself as it came at him. He grunted from the impact, but he held on tightly.

Greymon kept spinning and sent his tail back toward the rocks, clearly intending to smash Fladramon up against them. Fladramon ran up Greymon’s body just quickly enough to avoid being crushed though, and was up on his head within seconds.

"Knuckle Fire!" Fladramon’s fists lit up and he struck them down against Greymon's skull repeatedly. Greymon cringed and seemed to get disoriented from the blows.

"Greymon, get him off!" Taichi called out, and his partner seemed to hear him. A fireball formed in his mouth, but before he threw it he whipped his head around and tossed Fladramon into the air.

"Mega Flame!" Greymon roared and the fireball soared from his mouth and hit its target perfectly, Fladramon crashing into the cliff this time. He slid down and landed in a heap on the ground, rocks crumbling around him.

"Get up, Fladramon!" Daisuke's voice held no compassion for his partner whatsoever. If anything he just sounded angry. The pile of rocks suddenly flew apart in an eruption of fire and Fladramon burst toward Greymon at top speed.

Fladramon jumped up off the ground and pulled back his claws, ready to slash at his enemy’s face. Greymon didn't have enough time to load another fireball and shoot it, so instead he lunged to the side. Fladramon just missed him and was sent sliding along the ground instead.

_'I can't evolve Greymon...'_ Taichi clenched his Digivice in his hand. _'He already degenerated after fighting all those Unimon, he won’t have enough strength now.'_

Greymon whipped around and leapt into the air, growling ferociously as he attempted to crush Fladramon with all of his weight.

"Move!" Daisuke hollered, and Fladramon leapt blindly in a random direction after hearing his words. Greymon hit the ground just a few inches away from him, and the force sent Fladramon rolling. He didn’t stay down for long before he jumped back up and ran circles around Greymon.

"He'll jump at you!" Taichi yelled, noticing the way Fladramon’s fists were glowing with fire again. Greymon closed his eyes and tried to listen instead of watching. Sure enough, one of Fladramon’s footsteps sounded a bit different than the previous ones had.

"Mega Flame!" Greymon shot the fireball at Fladramon, but he aimed a bit too high. Fladramon lunged and dug his claws into Greymon's shoulder, latching onto him painfully. Greymon roared as Fladramon climbed up his body, sinking his claws into his skin along the way. Once he was back up on his head, Fladramon pelted his flaming fists back down against his skull.

"Greymon!" Taichi gasped as his partner's data began destabilizing. His body was phasing in and out as another degeneration neared. Too much more of this and he'd go back down to Agumon, and the battle would be over.

Greymon suddenly whipped his head downward, flinging Fladramon toward the ground. At first Taichi wasn't sure what he was trying to do, until Greymon caught him with his small arm and pulled him up against his chest. He held onto him with both arms as hard as he could, and then he ran straight for the jagged cliffside.

"Greymon, what are you doing?!" Taichi exclaimed, his partner still pulsing with static. Then it occurred to him… No matter what Greymon did at this point he was going to lose. There was no way he could weaken Fladramon enough to turn this battle around now. If they’d been at their full strength to begin with then Greymon surely could have won, especially if he’d been able to fight as WarGreymon from the start, but he’d already lost too much energy after saving Hikari. So if he was going down anyway, then that meant...

"Fladramon!" Daisuke hollered, appearing to realize what was going on as well. "Get away from him!"

Fladramon wiggled, scratched and bit, but Greymon held on tight. There was nothing he could do, and a few moments later Greymon rammed himself as hard as he could up against the cliffside. Fladramon screamed as his body was smashed between the wall and Greymon's heavy body, and both of them were sent back down to their Child forms. Rubble from the side of the cliff fell down on top of them, and suddenly there was silence.

" _Agumon_!" Taichi ran over to where they had fallen and began throwing rocks off the pile. His heart raced in his chest and his arms were shaking. Thankfully it didn't take long for him to find his partner's body amongst the mess. He pulled him out as gently as he could. After he'd set Agumon’s unconscious form down on the ground against a rock, he began digging again.

"V-Mon!” Taichi shouted, almost certain he’d seen his dark ring shatter. “V-Mon, can you hear me?!"

"Why do you care about V-Mon?" Daisuke walked over to him and watched, sounding genuinely confused. "He's your enemy and he was weak, just let him die."

" _Shut up_!" Taichi shouted and threw some of the rocks at the other boy, his arms shaking with rage. There were more than enough things wrong with this situation already, but hearing Daisuke not care about V-Mon's life with his own ears was more than he could handle. That weird ring… It had completely severed the connection between a Chosen and their partner, and it made Taichi sick. Daisuke genuinely didn't care what happened to V-Mon anymore!

“Taichi…” Agumon’s voice was weak, but he heard it. When he turned back around he saw his partner digging in the rocks. “I’ll find… V-Mon… You handle Daisuke...”

"Well by all means, waste your time on that worthless digimon," Daisuke turned to walk away, and Taichi felt something inside him snap. He stood up sharply, and Daisuke quickly spun back around to face him after appearing to hear the sudden movement. Taichi was panting furiously with his fists clenched at his sides and tears stinging his eyes.

This wasn’t Daisuke’s fault… _This wasn’t his fault_...

"That anger..." Daisuke frowned at him. "I don't understand it. Why all that over a single V-Mon?"

"Oh, Daisuke understands it _very well_ ," Taichi's voice was low as he stalked toward him, though Daisuke did not back down. "Deep down inside somewhere, I _know_ he’s furious right now! Even if he’s not aware of what’s going on, when he finds out what Ken made him do..." Taichi stopped right in front of him. "He’ll understand _exactly_ why I did this!"

Daisuke didn't move fast enough to dodge Taichi's fist, and there was a loud _crack_ as it collided with his face. He stumbled back but didn't fall down, managing to grab onto a large rock nearby. Taichi growled and rushed at him.

If there was one thing he knew about Daisuke, it was that he was all about emotions. He really didn't seem to know anything about fighting, he just got so upset sometimes that he could pull off amazing things that shouldn’t have been possible. With the ring suppressing those emotions though, Daisuke would never be able to tap into that power. Taichi could surely get the upper hand, and maybe he could still rip that ring off!

Taichi grabbed Daisuke by his hair and yanked, throwing him down onto the ground. He straddled over him, and this time he went for the throat. That damned ring! If he could just get enough strength behind him, he could yank it off and-!

Taichi gasped and clenched his eyes shut as electricity seared up through his chest, sending his body into a spasm. White lights danced in front of his eyes, and his head hit the ground before he even realized he’d toppled over. His arms and legs twitched uncontrollably and it became incredibly hard to breathe.

That must have been a self defense ability of the ring. Takeru had said something about being shocked by Daisuke, but the message hadn’t been detailed enough to explain exactly how it had happened. It wasn’t easy to communicate with one another right now...

Taichi opened his eyes slowly and looked over at the pile of rocks. There was movement, and a few seconds later V-Mon appeared to be climbing out weakly with Agumon's help. Unfortunately Daisuke had gotten back up on his feet now and was walking over to them.

“D-Daisuke, no!” Taichi reached out and shouted. “Don’t…! Don’t hurt him!”

Daisuke ignored him and grabbed a struggling V-Mon up off the ground. Taichi tried to get up to help him, but an Airdramon suddenly swooped down and picked them both up. They flew off and out of sight a few moments later, and V-Mon’s shout for help was the last thing he heard.

Agumon weakly hobbled over to Taichi and slumped down beside him. "Taichi... I'm sorry..." Taichi shook his head and smiled at his partner, lying back down on the ground and hugging him gently. His body hurt so much...

He had failed. No matter how much fault he could place on Ken for this, in the end he had not only failed to save Daisuke, but he’d also failed to protect V-Mon and the other Chosen. He’d failed Agumon too. The tears were back in his eyes and he choked them back as best he could. Agumon did the only thing he could do at that point, and hugged Taichi with a sigh of sadness.

What would happen now? He couldn’t help the others fight anymore. Would they lose because he wasn’t strong enough? Could the others still pull through somehow? Taichi shook his head and sat up. That was enough moping. He needed to snap out of it! He could still help, he’d find a way!

"Taichi!" a voice called out, and he found Kabuterimon flying toward them. Koushiro jumped off his back as soon as they landed nearby and ran over to them. "Taichi, get on Kabuterimon! We have to retreat!"

"What...?" Taichi coughed as he was helped back up to his feet. "Did we lose?"

"No, but we're about to," Koushiro shook his head as they made their way over to Kabuterimon’s outstretched hand, who set the three of them down on his shoulders. As soon as they were all secure, Kabuterimon took off into the sky again.

"I didn’t notice fast enough!" Koushiro had to practically yell over his partner’s loud wings to be heard.

"What?!" Taichi exclaimed, seeing Birdramon, Garurumon and Ikkakumon still fighting in the distance. "But we haven’t lost yet! And we have Kabuterimon now too!"

"Not for long!" Koushiro shouted back and pointed in the opposite direction of the fight. "Daisuke was just stalling for time while Ken built a dark tower over there! We can’t reach him in time anymore! Any second now all of our older digimon are going to degenerate! We’ll be totally surrounded if we don’t get back to the Terminal!"

"But-!" Taichi felt his blood run cold. "But what about Digmon?! And Holsmon?!"

"They’re knocked out in the pit with Miyako and Iori!" Koushiro looked over at him sadly. "We only have _our_ digimon left fighting, and they’re the ones who will be affected by the towers!"

Taichi clenched his fists and stared out at the battlefield. Sure enough, he couldn’t see Digmon or Holsmon anywhere. Worse yet, when he looked back he could see the outline of a dark tower already standing upright. All Ken had to do was get it turned on…

“Koushiro!” Taichi called to him. “Are you sure we can’t hit the tower from here? Maybe if we-!”

Suddenly there was nothing below them as Kabuterimon reverted back down to Tentomon and all of them started falling. They hit the ground quickly at least, thanks to Kabuterimon staying so close to the ground in anticipation of this. They slid a few feet through the dirt, another dust cloud picking up behind them.

Everyone groaned painfully as Tentomon flew down beside them, appearing to have some trouble navigating over to them through all the dust in the air. They seemed to have ended up near where the main battle was now taking place. They were just a few feet behind some rocks, and they were at least well out of sight.

"Can you walk?" Koushiro asked as he quickly hoisted a very weak Agumon up onto his shoulders.

"Y-Yeah," Taichi cringed and forced himself back onto his feet. They limped painfully through the rocks together, and at a much slower pace than Taichi would have liked. Eventually they made it out of the rocks though, and back over to the large open space between the two mountain peaks where their trap had originally been placed. Once the battle came into view though, they all froze.

Everyone else appeared to have been rounded up and huddled together, including Jyou and Hikari. All of the Chosen and their now child-form digimon were surrounded by the remaining ten enemies, with Daisuke hovering on his Devidramon above them. Taichi growled and started to panic a bit. Daisuke would probably hurt them for real in his current mental state. If he was willing to let his own partner die, then why not everyone else too?

Worse yet, what if Daisuke had more of those strange dark rings to put on everyone? Even if he didn’t, Ken surely did back in his base... If Taichi didn’t do something very fast, then the Digital World was about to have no one left to fight for it! Damn it, there _had_ to be something he could do! He couldn't just surrender like this! What would happen to them once they were all prisoners?!

“Koushiro…” Taichi whispered urgently as he tried to emphasize the gravity of their situation. “If he captures them, they’re all going to get rings put on them too. _All of them_. We’ll be the only ones left.”

“I know…” Koushiro swallowed and looked just as scared as Taichi felt, clenching his eyes shut. “I don’t know what to do… If I had just noticed what Ken was doing sooner, we could have-!”

“Don’t start that!” Taichi hissed at him. “We need to focus and come up with a plan _right now_ or-!”

Something caught Taichi's eye off in the distance, and he squinted without finishing what he had been saying. There was movement from various places nearby as the digimon they'd defeated started getting back up. None of the Chosen had killed the enslaved digimon during their battle, they'd only removed their dark rings. This… This meant that... If he could just…!

"Hey!" Taichi ran out from his hiding spot and yelled at the top of his lungs, his heart racing from the adrenalin suddenly pumping through his system. This was it! If this didn’t work then they were all done for! "We helped you! We freed you from the rings, so please help us!"

The defeated digimon turned around and looked over at Taichi. Even more had gotten up now, and soon enough all ten of the defeated forces were visible. They were all frozen and staring intently at him.

Daisuke shouted down at Taichi and ushered toward his slaves, "Shut up! Kill him! Kill him _now_!"

"You’re free because we saved you!" Taichi hollered again and started backing up as the remaining slaves darted forward. "Help us! Help us _please_!"

"Don't even think about it!" Daisuke shouted at the defeated slaves. "You will not listen to this fool or-!"

Daisuke didn't get to finish before all of the freed digimon converged on them. Now in their right minds, they leapt up and raced over to quickly get between Taichi and the attacking slaves. His words had been heard, and suddenly another battle erupted around them.

Everything was a blur for Taichi as he ran toward the others, sparks and explosions going off all around him. The Chosen were still in a tight group and trying to stay out of the line of fire.

“Over here!” Taichi called out and waved frantically at them. Jyou saw him first, and he quickly urged everyone to start moving. Sparks of light and energy whizzed past Taichi’s face, and his ears started ringing as he tried to meet up with them.

Once they were together, Taichi lead them over to where Koushiro, Agumon and Tentomon were hiding. Everyone crouched down behind the rocks and huddled together, closing their eyes and whimpering as attacks blew off right beside their heads. Taichi could feel Hikari shaking as he held her and Agumon tightly against him.

For first time in his life, Taichi prayed. He didn’t know who he was even praying to, but it was all he could do. In truth he hadn’t been this afraid since the very first time he’d been trapped in the Digital World with the others. He was pretty sure they hadn’t all come this close to death since back then, either.

Suddenly everything stopped and went quiet. Taichi opened his eyes and peeked around the rocks as carefully as he could, just in case something was about to collide right beside him. Off in the distance was Devidramon retreating with Daisuke on its back, who had clearly decided to leave as soon as the battle started. It was over now... All of the dark rings were shattered.

As the freed digimon all jumped and cheered, Taichi felt his heart sink. They made it… Somehow he’d done it - he’d found a way out when all had seemed lost, and yet he felt no happiness at all. The only thing he really felt now was the tugging of sobs that he couldn’t hold back anymore. His entire body went limp, forcing him to lean up against the rock he’d been hiding behind. He had no more strength left, not even after they were finally safe.

With the freed digimon celebrating nearby, the Chosen and their partners all slumped against each other and let out their painful emotions, the hollow victory sitting heavy in their hearts.

**********Flashback**********

_Ken stared down at the motionless boy on the floor, a large blood stain lying next to his unconscious head. The horrific scene that had just played out left him speechless. The control room was full of noise from the panic going on around the base, and yet somehow everything felt completely still to him._

_Ken walked slowly toward Daisuke’s body. He’d put more dark rings on digimon than he could count, and not once had anything like this ever happened. Their eyes simply gone red and that was it. This ring though... Had it killed him? Daisuke had clearly tried to fight against its influence as Ken had expected he would. He'd given it a lot more power to overtake his mind for that very reason. Had he overdone it?_

_Ken’s arms were shaking as he knelt down beside the motionless body. He reached for Daisuke’s wrist to check for a pulse, removing one of his gloves and placing his bare fingers against his skin. He had to try very hard to steady his shivering hands in order to do it correctly, but a few seconds later he released a large breath of relief that he hadn't realized he'd been holding._

_Daisuke was alive._

_It was at that moment that he remembered when Daisuke had given him CPR back when he'd been dying on this same floor. Guilt… He hated the feeling. He had never felt so much of it at once before. CPR wouldn’t save Daisuke from what Ken had just done though..._

_"H-Hey..." Ken said weakly, forcing Daisuke to sit up and lean against the nearby wall. He grabbed his shoulders and shook him, hoping that it would stir him back to consciousness. It did absolutely nothing though, and Daisuke's head went limp against his own shoulder as soon as Ken let go._

_What if… What if the ring had caused permanent brain damage? Ken had never even considered that possibility. Honestly, up until that moment he’d never cared about it. His eyes felt wetter all of a sudden, and he was forced to wipe them with his bare hand in order to see anything._

_"Daisuke, come on!" Ken raised his voice, his heart rate increasing. "Get up! Please, I-!"_

_Ken was startled when Daisuke's eyes suddenly shot open and he stood up, arms lying straight down at his sides. Ken rose to his feet slowly and took a few steps back. He looked up and down Daisuke’s body, trying to figure out what was going on._

_The room felt dead silent even with all the chaos in the background. It should have been loud and distracting, but Ken could hardly hear any of it. Daisuke neither did nor said anything, appearing to be waiting for something. Ken suddenly realized what it was though, and he cleared his throat to speak._

_"What is…” Ken trailed off, unable to find the willpower he wanted right away. “What is your name?"_

_"Bio Ring Prototype 5877324," Daisuke's voice was cold and emotionless, his empty eyes moving to meet Ken's. "I am ready for instruction, Master."_

_Daisuke had finally answered the question correctly._

_Ken had chosen a name and number sequence that no one would ever randomly guess. It didn't even mean anything. He’d simply picked random numbers when he first started the project, and he'd made a point of never letting anyone else know what they were. He'd memorized it on his own, and he never logged the information anywhere into his computer system._

_Ken didn't know how to react. He should have been happy... He should have been celebrating the fact that his exhausting and material draining experiment had finally succeeded. He should have been taking advantage of the fact that Daisuke was his to command now. He could send him at the other Chosen for daring to trap him like this. How hilarious it would be to see the look on their faces when the very person they were trying so hard to rescue suddenly attacked them with the Kaiser's slaves at his side._

_And yet... for some reason Ken just couldn't find the strength to do it. He couldn’t even think of anything to say now that he was staring success straight in the face._

_"I am ready for instruction, Master," Daisuke repeated._

_“This is wrong…” Ken’s voice quivered as he spoke out loud, backing away from his prisoner. His hand moved up to cover his mouth. What’d he’d just done… It was horrible. Daisuke was a real person, he had a soul and Ken had just-!_

_The room jerked and spun, Ken's head slamming against the floor almost immediately. The base hadn't shook or anything, though… He curled up and whimpered as a hot, searing pain shot up the back of his neck. He clutched at it with his fingertips, and almost immediately he got dizzy and felt like throwing up._

_"Master!" Daisuke's voice held a bit more emotion that time as he knelt down beside him._

_'There's nothing wrong with this,' Ken heard his own voice echo in his mind. 'It's not terrible at all.'_

_"That's not true," Ken shook his head and spoke out loud as he rolled over onto his back. "He doesn't deserve this!"_

_'Of course he deserves it,’ the thought continued, sounding as though it was scoffing at his own ignorance. 'He's a lower being - a mindless fool like all the others. Someone like him doesn't deserve to have their own will.'_

_"But…!" Ken tensed up. "He has a good heart, he’s a good person! I can't just-!"_

_'On top of that he's an enemy,' the voice in Ken’s head cut himself off. 'And enemies must be destroyed.'_

_"I do want to destroy my enemies, but..." Ken frowned, looking up at the ceiling instead of at Daisuke's face. "But it's not right to destroy something that's real."_

_'Who cares if he's real or not?' he thought to himself, the room finally feeling stable as it stopped spinning. 'Real or data, he's still going to ruin your plans. He's in the way, so just use him!'_

_"No..." Ken sat up finally and shook his head, clenching his eyes shut. "I don’t want to do that!"_

_'Look how soft he's made you!' Ken thought and he was suddenly disgusted with himself. He outwardly shivered. 'This is unacceptable! He needs to be punished for it!'_

_"I..." Ken stopped moving and looked down at his hands, thinking about everything he’d just listened to._

_'You used to be so strong...' Ken's thoughts stroked his own ego. 'You were going to show everyone, weren't you? Show them that they couldn't just walk all over you anymore. You were going to prove that Osamu wasn't better than you, that he was just a pampered little shit and that your parents are worthless maggots. You were going to be better than_ everyone _\- everyone who ever looked down on you.'_

_"That..." Ken clenched his fists and glared, anger rushing through him suddenly. "That's right!"_

_'You were going to get revenge on_ all of them _,' his inner voice purred quietly. 'All of those worthless fools who tried to make you weak. Are you as weak as they thought you were?'_

_"I'm not weak!" Ken felt his arms start to shake and his voice crack. "I'm not!"_

_'Then prove it...' the voice finally faded away, and the noises in the base came rushes into his ears._

_"Right," Ken finally said with a confident voice, standing up to face Motomiya. "I think I know how to get out of their stupid trap." Ken couldn't help but smirk as he quickly worked out a plan._

_The slithering children were clearly underestimating him again. All he had to do was redirect the electricity in the net that was preventing his base from moving, and then he could back it up and tear it off the peaks. He would send some of the robotic digimon out into the net. All they had to do was use their jets to fly over to the devices that were sending out the electrical currents, and then place their bodies directly in front of the energy flow. The electricity wouldn’t be able to reach the base anymore with the digimon in the way, and Ken could escape. Of course the robots would be electrocuted and destroyed, but that was fine._

_It was a pretty good trap he supposed, in theory. Nevertheless it still was nothing compared to his level of intelligence. The Chosen were infants and they clearly needed to learn who was superior._

_Ken looked over at Motomiya with a sadistic excitement as he gave him his first order. "Crush them."_


	11. Numb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

_"Takeru-kun!" Sora's frantic voice snapped Takeru out of his horrified daze, Piemon on their heels as they tried to escape. "Take Hikari-chan and get out of here!"_

_"But what about you?!" Takeru exclaimed, not understanding how she could possibly want him to just abandon her like this._

_"Listen carefully..." Sora pulled herself out of the hole they had crawled through and looked him dead in the eyes. Takeru waited, his heart pounding in his chest. "There's no doubt that both Garudamon and Angewomon have been turned into dolls by Piemon now. You're the only one here who can protect Hikari-chan." Sora stood, but she never took her eyes off him. "Understand?"_

_"But Sora-san, you're-!"_

_"Don't worry about me!" Sora cut him off, her hands grasping at his shoulders. "Do you understand?!"_

_Takeru felt many emotions well up inside of him as he thought of his broken family. At one point he'd promised himself that somehow he would protect them and keep them all together, but in the end he'd failed. If he couldn't even save his own family, how could anyone expect him to save Hikari?_

_"Yeah," Takeru finally gave in and looked down sadly at the floor, unable to speak his mind with Sora’s fierce expression staring him down._

_"Do whatever it takes to get away from here!" Sora's voice was firm. She knew exactly what she was going to do, and Takeru had a terrifying suspicion that he already knew what it was too._

_"Okay," Takeru tried to sound more sure of himself this time. If Sora was going to put her trust in him for some reason, then he might as well give her some hope that he could do it. He didn't think he could, but it would be even worse to not try. "I'll protect Hikari-chan at all costs!" Or die trying, at least._

_"Now, hurry and run!" Sora shoved him towards Hikari, Gomamon and Patamon. She stayed put by the hole in the floor though. Takeru called out for Hikari to follow him, and then they ran away from there as fast as they could._

_They hadn't made it very far before they all heard Sora scream, "Takeru-kun!"_

_Takeru turned around in time to see Piemon's sheet wrapping around her as she was turned into a doll. Just before that though, she managed to throw something at him. He caught what turned out to be Yamato's figurine._

_Takeru ran through the large double doors with Hikari and Patamon, tears stinging his eyes. He could hear Piemon's voice saying something behind him, but he didn't stop to find out what it was. He had to get them all away before they were caught! He couldn’t fail Hikari when Sora had trusted him!_

_However, the moment they'd made it through the doorway he froze. It was a dead end with nothing but a balcony and a massive drop to the ground below._

_Takeru tried to find a way to escape until Patamon pointed at a straw basket that was nearby. Takeru opened up the lid, and suddenly a rope began to rise into the air somehow. He tugged on it as hard as he could, discovering that it was secure and didn't budge. They could use this!_

_"Climb up, Hikari-chan!" Takeru urged her, and when she began to stutter with fear he tried to sound as determined as he could. "Don't be afraid, climb up!"_

_Takeru let Hikari go first and then quickly climbed up behind her. He had no idea where they were going, but it couldn't be worse than staying on that balcony where Piemon would surely-_

_The door exploding behind them only confirmed his fears. Before he had a chance to think of a plan though, Patamon had evolved into Angemon. The sounds of clashing weapons brought hope to his heart, and he cheered his partner on. Angemon could do it! He could beat Piemon! He didn't have to fail Hikari too, he could-!_

_“Angemon!” Takeru cried out as his partner screamed and was blasted backward off the edge. No... He'd already lost Angemon once before to Devimon! He'd lost his family, he was quickly losing all of the other Chosen, and now he was going to lose Hikari too! Takeru felt despair quickly surrounding him._

_There was a crash below as Angemon hit the ground, his staff rolling away from his limp body. Takeru screamed and tears streamed down his face. This was all his fault!_

_"Takeru-kun!" Hikari called out to him, and he quickly wiped his eyes. He couldn't let her see him like this or she would panic too. Somehow he had to encourage her. Wasn't that his whole purpose to the group or something? His so-called powers of Hope?_

_"Angemon will be okay!" Takeru smiled as best he could, having faked happiness enough times by now that he could convince almost anyone. He'd had more than enough practice around his family, but especially his parents. However, right as he tried to urge Hikari to climb up some more, a sword cut through the top of the rope right beside her hands._

_"I thought I told you that there's nowhere left to run," Piemon's smug voice called up to them, and Takeru's heart dropped. The rope didn't fall for some reason, but the section above them disappeared. They had nowhere left to climb, and he could now feel Piemon's hand grabbing at his leg and pulling._

_At first Takeru couldn’t hear what Piemon was saying over the sound of his own terrified heart beating in his ears, until he felt Hikari’s hand grab onto him. She was trying to pull him away from Piemon, and the realization snapped him back to reality._

_"Let go of my hand!” Takeru hollered at her. “He'll get you too, Hikari-chan!"_

_"No! I'll never let go!" Hikari's words confused him. Why would she believe in him now, after all of this?_

_"Then fall together!" Piemon called out to them as he cut the bottom of the rope, disconnecting them from the magic inside the basket, and suddenly they were falling._

_Hikari shrieked and grabbed his hand, Takeru closing his eyes and trying to breathe over the rushing air. He felt her hand slip away and before he could grab it back, she was falling away from him. They weren't going to make it! Her belief in him had been for nothing!_

_A jingling sound caught his attention and he pulled Yamato's doll off his backpack. His brother... As he looked at it, he could hear Yamato’s voice telling him to be strong and not to give up - not even now. Yamato... Was this just a memory or was he really speaking to him somehow?_

_Takeru didn’t know the answer to that, but what he did know was that his brother had always seen something special in him. Maybe Hikari had seen it too... Perhaps that was why she believed in him. If Takeru was being honest with himself, he had never really tried as hard as he could to trust in his own abilities. Before his family had broken up he’d had a lot more hope for the future, hope that they could make it somehow. He’d let that one failure bring him down because it had meant so much to him to succeed, and he’d been failing ever since._

_Not this time._

_"I won't give up!" Takeru shouted suddenly, and for the first time since he was only a few years old, he had no doubts in his mind. "I'll never give up!"_

_Takeru watched Hikari falling beside him. If they died here, then both this world and their own would be destroyed. Everyone would be gone. His mother, his father, his brother..._ everyone _. Broken up or not, he still had them in his life to some degree and that needed to be enough. And Hikari... he didn’t want to lose her too. His life wasn’t as broken or destroyed as he’d convinced himself it was._

_"Angemon!" Takeru screamed, mustering all of the hope he could into his heart, and finally, for the very first time, his crest began to glow. He felt a warmth spreading throughout his entire body as his partner evolved beneath them, HolyAngemon rising from the light and catching them before they hit the ground._

_Takeru smiled over at Hikari in HolyAngemon’s arms with him. He had done it. He’d believe in himself without any doubts, and they had lived because of it. Hikari’s belief in him had helped him see his own shadows so that he could cast them away. So for everyone that he loved, and for Hikari especially, he would never let this power go to waste again._

********************

Takeru stared blankly down at his hands in his lap, not finding the energy to get up off the uncomfortable bench that he was sitting on. It was the same one that he’d found Hikari at just before she'd been called to the Dark Ocean some time ago.

Memories of a sorely won battle flashed through his mind. He'd failed two people that day - both Daisuke and Hikari. He cringed at the images of her lying on the ground covered in bruises and bleeding.

He and Pegasmon had tried so hard to reach her, but no matter what they did they just couldn’t get around all the Airdramon. They'd always found a way to block their path to her, and hearing her screams of pain had cut through his heart like a hot blade. He was just thankful that Taichi had found a way to her in time. If not for that... she would be dead.

Takeru put his face in his hands and felt tears against his palms. He took in a deep, shaky breath to try and get himself under control.

Maybe he wouldn’t be struggling with his emotions so much if he hadn’t been forced to stare at her empty chair all day, and to keep up with the lie that she just had the flu. Instead she was in bed at home with her throat so raw that she couldn't speak, her hip hurting too much to move, and her body littered in gauze and bandages. She would be out of class for a while still, so he really needed to get it together.

Takeru supposed he should be happy that everyone had survived, but it was a lot harder than usual to be positive. Taichi certainly wasn’t in top condition either, so he’d stayed home with Hikari to take care of ‘ _the flu they had both come down with_.’ Koushiro had a bit of a limp to his step ‘ _from the curb he’d tripped on_ ’, but he was getting by well enough. Iori was currently at the doctor getting some crutches after his ‘ _unfortunate accident during Kendo practice._ ’

There was a sickness that had infected everyone, though. No one had spoken very much or been able to get enthused about anything for the remainder of the weekend, and it had followed them into Monday as well.

Takeru’s train of thought was cut off as the warning bell for 4th period suddenly rang out.

He sighed and stood up, shaking his head a bit. It had been a very long time since he’d had to fake his smile like this… He'd managed well enough during his first three classes, but seeing Miyako at lunch just now had put a crack in his mask - especially with Iori absent from the lunch table while he was out at the doctor’s office.

Hikari… She was the reason he’d ever found who he really was. If he had just reached her in time, she would be-

Takeru growled and clenched his eyes shut, mustering all of his strength. No, _enough_ of the fake masks. That was _not_ what Hikari had taught him! He needed to be strong and positive, and it needed to be real. He couldn’t lose hope now just because of a failed battle. That was _exactly_ what had plagued him all throughout his early childhood until he’d met her!

Takeru walked toward his classroom with less guilt in his chest. He would just get through the rest of the day somehow, and then he would let all of his emotions out at home. Once he felt better he would go over and see her, and let Taichi take a break from caring for her. This way he could help both of them, and it was a way to make up for what had happened.

Takeru smiled more genuinely this time. He felt a lot better.

********************

Ken focused on his work. The Chimeramon project was coming along nicely - it might even be finished soon if he kept up at his current pace. He had most of the digimon body parts that he needed already, but he was having trouble locating the last of it. No matter what though, he couldn’t give up. This project was vital to his success in mastering the Digital World.

Ken jumped as a crash sounded from out in the hallway outside. He growled and cursed Motomiya's name, pressing the button that would bring up the security footage. His frown immediately lessened, however, when he found that one of the guards had simply dropped the equipment they were holding.

Right... it couldn't have been Motomiya's fault… Ken sighed and went back to his list of remaining parts for Chimeramon. He still needed a set of Devimon’s arms, Kabuterimon’s head and MetalGreymon’s hair. Everything else was pretty much done.

As Ken continued to research where he could acquire the remaining components, he found the silence more and more unsettling. His ears began to ring a bit, and he did his best to just ignore it. His eyes were getting heavy as well, and he had to rub them every now and then to get the fuzzy haze out of his vision.

Ken quickly found that his attention had drifted and moved away from the screen. He shook his head and dragged his eyes back over to his work. It didn’t last long though… He suddenly realized that he wasn’t even typing anymore. Instead he was merely tapping his fingers against the control panel.

“Ugh…” Ken sighed and leaned back in his chair. It was just so _quiet_!

Well of course it was! He'd ordered everyone to leave him alone so that he could finally get something done! Apparently everyone in the base had obeyed that command... It felt like such a long time since that had happened.

When a cough from outside the Control Room floated under the door, the image of Daisuke's face flashed through Ken's mind and he glared at the entryway. What was he up to now?! He was probably-!

The Kaiser stood up suddenly and started talking to himself. “Motomiya Daisuke _cannot_ bother you anymore because he is _a slave now_!” Ken took a deep breath after that and sat back down in his chair. Everything was fine. In fact, it was _better_ than fine - it was _perfect_. He could now work without any distractions as it had been before Daisuke ever entered the base.

He went back to his work, but after only a few more minutes he found himself staring over at a different screen in the far corner of the room. He growled and shook his head. Alright… maybe he just needed a break for now. He could come back and work some more afterward, but at least for the moment he would go and… take a walk around the base, or lay down, or… something.

Ken stood and left the Control Room, ordering his guards to keep everyone out of there until he returned. As he proceeded along the corridor he started to feel a bit better. His mind was less scattered and he felt more awake. Maybe he should do this more often. He’d never really benefited from taking breaks before, but a lot had changed recently.

As Ken rounded a corner he realized that his absent minded walking had lead him straight to the dungeon where Daisuke now resided. Had it been an accident? He hadn’t intended to come here, at least not that he was aware of… It wasn’t like he wanted to see Daisuke or anything.

Oh well, maybe it was for the best. He was clearly still paranoid of the other boy, so maybe it would be beneficial to find some closure on the new situation. Seeing that Daisuke really wouldn’t be doing anything to get in his way anymore could only help, right?

With a nod, Ken walked up to the dungeon doors and grasped the knobs with his hands. He frowned as a strange emotion filled his heart. What was this feeling? Nervousness, perhaps? Why would he feel that way?

_Bah_ , he was afraid of _no one_!

Ken pulled the doors open and walked into the dungeon, making his way past the many cells in the room. As soon as he reached the largest one in the very back, he pulled out his keys. The cell door creaked loudly as it was yanked open and Ken walked inside.

"Master?" Daisuke asked as he sat up from the bed and stood up straight.

There was a heaviness in Ken’s heart as he looked his prisoner in the eyes. They were different now, and yet they weren’t even glowing or anything. They were still brown as usual… Maybe what didn’t feel right was how empty and lifeless they looked. Suddenly Ken felt nauseous.

_"Osamu-chan...?" Ken whimpered from the sidewalk as his arms started to shake. His brother’s body was lifeless in the street with his eyes still halfway open. However, the parts that Ken could see were empty. There was nothing there - no life, and no Osamu. He was dead and it was all Ken’s fault for throwing the ball out into the road._

Ken hissed and shook his head. He quickly pushed away the unwanted memories before they brought back all the painful emotions. He'd come here to show himself that Daisuke would not be a threat anymore, not to think about old things like that...

"Motomiya," Ken said after clearing his throat. "Who are you loyal to?"

"You, Master,” Daisuke replied simply and correctly.

"And what is your purpose now?" Ken asked as he forced a smirk onto his face that wasn't coming naturally to him for some reason.

"To devote my life to you," Daisuke replied correctly once again.

"What if your friends try to stop you from serving me?" Ken tested the other boy.

"They are not my friends," Daisuke didn’t flinch at all, and his eyes remained exactly the same. "And they will die. I will do it myself if required."

Ken flinched at the unnatural sounding words coming from Daisuke’s mouth. He cleared his throat again and forced the smirk back onto his face. He was just getting used to hearing Daisuke speak this way was all. Obviously it was for the best.

"Master," Daisuke began, and Ken couldn’t quite prevent himself from frowning at the boy’s behavior. "Why do you ask me these questions?"

"You will speak when spoken to!" Ken verbally snapped, taking his irritation at himself out on his prisoner. Why was this bothering him so much?! This was what he _wanted_!

"I apologize, Master," Daisuke didn't change his facial expression at all. Ken found himself imagining what Daisuke would have actually done just now if he was still himself. He would have scoffed and rolled his eyes most likely. After that he would have cursed at him and demanded things, or maybe he would have thrown something. Ken smiled a bit. He supposed after all their time spent together he had ended up learning a thing or two about Daisuke’s-

Ken cringed and stepped back. Motomiya was a _nuisance_ and he always had been! Ken hated him! He _never_ wanted to see him again now that he’d _finally_ gotten rid of him, and he wasn't about to let such a sweet victory be-!

_"Osamu-chan!" Mrs. Ichijouji smiled brightly as she held onto her eldest son’s report card. "You got all A's again, good job! I knew you could do it!"_

_Ken watched as Osamu smiled back at his mother and nodded. He’d never been one to react heavily to praise. Ken clutched his own report card in his hand, though he felt no excitement for it._

_"H-Here mama..." Ken sighed and gave it to her, already knowing exactly what she was going to say._

_"Oh, thank you Ken-chan," she smiled and looked down at the paper. A few seconds later her expression fell a bit. "Well, at least it’s an improvement from last time. Try to do better next time though, okay?”_

_"Yeah," Ken turned and left the room without another word. There were tears in his eyes but he didn't want anyone to see them. He had studied so hard and for so long to bring his grades up, but what did it matter? Unless his scores were as good as Osamu’s, which they never would be, his parents would never be proud of him._

_Ken just wished his brother would vanish... Maybe then he could finally make someone proud without flawless-Osamu casting a shadow over him._

_"Osamu-chan..." Ken whispered under his breath as he walked into his bedroom. "I wish you would just disappear!"_

_The sound of screeching tires and a loud_ bang _made Ken’s stomach turn enough to nearly throw up right there on the sidewalk. He didn’t want to turn around... He already knew what he’d see, but he also knew that he had to face it. Sure enough, as soon as he saw the scene in front of him-_

Ken backed away from Daisuke and put his face in his hands, his back smacking up against the bars of the prison cell. No, this… this wasn't the same as that! What he'd done to Daisuke, it wasn't at all like what he’d done to Osamu! It wasn’t… He hadn’t…!

With a shaking hand, Ken uncoiled the whip from his side. He flicked it and the end snapped against Daisuke’s arm, who flinched for a second but then straightened himself out afterward. The momentary expression of pain vanished from his face, and in its place was a blank expression. Ken flicked the whip again, this time at the boy’s thigh. Daisuke gasped and stumbled back against the wall, but just like before he was standing tall and emotionless just a few seconds later.

_'I didn't kill him...'_ Ken thought to himself as his arms started to shake. He backed away from the empty shell that had once been Motomiya Daisuke, gripping hard at his whip. _'He's still there, Daisuke is still there! It's not like Osamu. He's not dead!'_

The whip slashed against Daisuke's side, his prisoner clenching his eyes shut and grunting with pain. Daisuke didn't get angry or defend himself in any way though, instead simply going back to his previous position and staring straight ahead as programmed.

"Stop it!" Ken yelled and grabbed Daisuke’s shirt, shoving him up against the wall. Daisuke's head hit the cement behind him but he didn't react to it. "Get angry, damn it!" Ken’s voice broke up a bit toward the end. "Yell at me, punch me… Just _do_ something!"

Daisuke was still there deep down, he had to be! Ken pulled his arm back and punched the other boy in the face. Before his prisoner could try to get back into position, Ken kicked him in the gut and threw him down onto the floor of the prison cell. Daisuke got up on his hands and knees, shook his head, and to Ken’s dismay he stood back up. His face was empty and he moved no further.

Ken grabbed his stomach as a sudden wave of nausea hit him. Was Daisuke really gone? Was there nothing left but an empty body filled with programming? He’d done it, hadn’t he…? He’d killed Daisuke just as he’d killed his own brother. And worse yet, it had been on purpose this time.

"No!" Ken screamed and grabbed his own hair. He closed his eyes tight, which caused the tears that had been pooling up in them to stream down his face. Not again… Not again! He couldn’t bear to feel this way again! Maybe he could still save Daisuke if he just-!

Ken shook his head so hard that it hurt and he growled viciously. Damn it, no! He would _not_ feel guilty for this - not for the sake of a _slave_!

Ken grabbed Daisuke by his hair and slammed his head against the bars of the cell door. Daisuke finally cried out with pain and curled up on the floor beside his feet. The sound of Daisuke's suffering, coupled with the blood that ran down his face, made Ken's entire body shake. He knelt down and pulled Daisuke’s head into his lap so that he could look at the wound.

The cut was pretty bad… It was bleeding into his hair. He'd probably be fine, but it should be cleaned up quickly to prevent infection. Ken would need to make sure that all the cuts and gashes on Daisuke’s body from the whippings were looked at by the medical team.

As Daisuke sat up and appeared to wait for further instruction, Ken felt himself sag down against the bars. Well, he’d gotten what he wanted… Daisuke was completely gone. He was… terrible. Ken was a _terrible_ person. Not only had he killed the soul inside of Daisuke, but then he’d punished and beaten him for it as though it was his fault or something.

_"Ken!" Osamu's angry voice cut through the silence of the room and startled Ken. He looked up at his brother, who was holding out his wet backpack furiously. Ken felt his heart sink as he realized what he’d done and why Osamu was so upset._

_"You left this sitting out on the balcony!" Osamu growled and threw it to the bedroom floor._

_Ken stood up and hung his head, "I... I forgot to bring it back in-"_

_"I know you forgot!" Osamu cut him off loudly. "And what do you know, it rained today! So now all my schoolwork is ruined! All the hours I spent on those extremely difficult worksheets, wasted! I might have to pay a fine for water damage to my books now, too! Do you think they’re cheap or something?!" Osamu was shouting at the top of his lungs now. “I’m taking college level classes now, Ken!”_

_Ken tried to speak but nothing came out of his mouth._

_"Don't just stare at the floor!" Osamu demanded as he walked up and grabbed the collar of Ken's shirt. "What do you have to say for yourself?! You should be upset for what you did!"_

_If Ken could have thought of something to say before, he was too scared to think of it now. Instead he froze up and clenched his eyes shut._

_"Ugh!" Osamu threw him back down onto the floor, and Ken hit his head against the side of the desk as he fell. He whimpered as pain wracked his skull and spread down to his neck. He tried not to cry but he already knew he couldn’t hold it back, so he quickly sat up and put his face in his knees so that Osamu at least wouldn’t see him do it._

_"Ken..." Osamu knelt down next to him and Ken’s body flinched a bit. "Ken, I'm sorry..." Ken relaxed as his brother's fingers ran through his hair, which did help to soothe the pain._

_"I'm so sorry... I didn’t mean for you to hit your head..." Osamu's words were strained, and when Ken looked up to meet his eyes he found tears shimmering back at him. "It's just so hard to deal with all of this,” Osamu said and wiped his eyes dry, still rubbing Ken’s head gently. “Mom and dad, school, the media, all the drama and pressure... If I make even one mistake then everyone is so disappointed in me. I have to be completely perfect and I just... I just get too angry sometimes."_

_Ken smiled and leaned forward to hug his brother. "I know Osamu-chan," Ken replied quietly, happy that Osamu was being himself again. "Things are really hard for you. I forgive you."_

_"I'm a terrible person..." Osamu's words were so quiet that Ken nearly missed them._

_"No!" Ken pulled away and gave Osamu a stern look. "You're not terrible! You're the best big brother ever! You blow bubbles with me, you're super smart and you’re good at everything you do! And... And you take me places when mom and dad are gone, and…!" Ken’s head fell a bit and sadness filled his heart. "Don't think that way, okay? You're my best friend..."_

_Osamu smiled softly and kissed the top of his brother's head before sitting up against the desk beside him."Yeah, well you're gentle and kind, which I'm not. I'm just a big ball of stress." When Osamu laughed softly, Ken couldn’t help but laugh too. He was happy that things were better now. He hated it when Osamu was that other person - the one that all the stress created._

_"Hey, Ken?" Osamu asked after a moment of comfortable silence._

_"Yeah?" Ken looked up at his hero._

_"Don't ever change, okay?" Osamu patted Ken’s head softly. “Always be Ken - this Ken, right here.” He poked at Ken’s chest and then tickled him._

_Ken giggled and smiled up at his brother, "Okay, Osamu-chan!"_

Ken pushed Daisuke away and stood up, backing into the nearest wall. He covered his mouth and gagged, having to struggle even harder to keep himself from throwing up. As soon his he’d gotten his stomach under control he threw his glasses onto the floor and covered his face, tears quickly filling the palms of his hands. He knew his sobs could be heard all throughout the dungeon, but he just couldn’t stop it this time.

It really was just like Osamu. Everything always came back to him. Daisuke was dead and it was his fault, just like his brother... Ken had just lashed out at Daisuke the way Osamu used to do to him. Osamu had never beaten him like this, though… This was worse than anything his brother had ever done to him. He'd always forgiven Osamu for his outbursts without question because he knew it was really his parent's fault for his behavior. If they hadn’t put so much stress in his brother’s life, then he could have been more like himself.

"Master?" Daisuke reached a hand out but Ken smacked it away.

"Don't call me that!" Ken's voice cracked and he started hyperventilating. "I-I’m Ken! That's what... You're supposed to… to call me! Y-You…!"

‘ _Get away from him!_ ’ Ken thought desperately. ‘ _Get away from Daisuke!_ ’

Ken pushed off from the wall and left Daisuke’s cell, slamming the door shut behind him. Before he could be asked anything else, he turned and ran out into the hallway. He shut and locked the dungeon doors so that there was no way Daisuke could follow after him, and then he sank down to the floor.

Ken tried to take slow, deep breaths. His neck was hot and aching again for some reason, but he wasn’t worried about that enough to care. All he could do was choke and gasp until eventually it was just too much to hold back. He finally surrendered, pulling his knees up to his chest and crying against them.

He’d never hated himself this much before. In fact, prior to bringing Daisuke into the base he’d never hated himself _at all_. He’d been remembering too many painful things from his past lately, and it hurt worse than any failed mission ever could. He just wanted to give up and-

Ken’s head spun suddenly and he fell over onto the floor. His vision blurred and the pain in his neck seared so badly that he cried out. His hands moved up to touch the painful spot, and he found that his fingertips burned from the contact. What was happening? Why was his skin burning like that?!

Suddenly the pain vanished entirely. Ken slowly sat back up and held his forehead, still finding it a bit hard to breathe even though the symptoms had started. His head had settled and he wasn’t dizzy at all anymore. He felt perfectly fine and it made no sense! He was so confused… What the _hell_ was going on?!

Ken tried to remember what had just happened, and as the memories came back he found himself understanding even less than before. Why would he cry over whipping a slave? It seemed that something about Daisuke was poisonous to him. Even when he’d finally gotten the boy under control he still somehow managed to cause Ken all sorts of agony.

With a growl Ken stood up and dusted off his pants. Curse it all… No matter how hard he tried, things just weren't going to go back to how they'd been before he ever imprisoned Daisuke, were they? Everything he did to try and bring productivity back to the base only seemed to increase the chaos even more. Daisuke had changed things somehow, and Ken didn't know what to do about it. Just being around him seemed to corrupt his thoughts and feelings.

He’d just need to get away from Daisuke altogether.


	12. Shattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

Daisuke walked swiftly toward the control room with a large box of parts held firmly in his hands. He needed to be very careful not to damage any of the contents inside, as they were vital to his master's work. More Dark Towers were needed with the increased activity of the Chosen Children lately, so time was of the essence. He was determined to spend his every waking moment aiding his master's reign. Thankfully he’d been given permission to help.

He had initially assumed that Kaiser-sama would refuse his request and order him to cease the inquiry. However, he had accepted the offer under the condition that he stay out of sight. Daisuke understood completely and found the compromise to be quite fair. This way his master would not have lesser beings in his way.

While completing tasks for his master, he’d found many things around the base to be non-optimum. The most noticeable were some of the digimon slaves themselves. This was not true for all of them, but quite a few were very lazy. They would receive instructions, but rather than beginning immediately they would dawdle around, chat, and take significantly more time than was necessary.

This behavior was unacceptable, and he would be reporting it to Wormmon as soon as he’d finished with his delivery. Kaiser-sama had personally requested that Daisuke not speak to him directly, so Wormmon would have to deliver his message for him. At least Wormmon seemed to be pretty on top of things, though for some reason his master did not agree.

Daisuke entered the control room where he’d been instructed to leave the parts. The room was empty as expected. He wasn't sure where to put the box though, so he just settled with laying it down on the floor in the corner near the door. After standing back up, he noticed that one of the monitors was on. It was the only one, and it was the entire source of light in the room.

Upon walking up to the screen, Daisuke discovered an electronic map of a large portion of the Digital World. The basic geography had been drawn out, as well as many black tower-like icons which surely represented active Dark Towers. It was far more detailed than the maps on their primitive D3s were. In one small area was a tiny blinking black dot, which he realized was Kaiser-sama’s digivice. There was no Dark Tower icon there yet, so the construction must not be done yet.

Suddenly his master’s voice sounded in the room and Daisuke tensed up, nervous about breaking his agreement to not go near him. However, he quickly realized that the voice was electronic and it was coming out through a speaker.

"Wormmon, are you there?" Kaiser-sama asked, though Wormmon wasn’t present to answer. Daisuke had no idea where to find him or how to locate him with the computer system the way his master did. "Damn it, Wormmon!" Kaiser-sama’s voice snapped angrily. "I never need you when you're around, and then when I _do_ need you, you don't answer!"

Daisuke searched for something that could respond to the call, but there were so many buttons and switches... There was no way he could figure it out, and pushing random things could really mess something up if he chose the wrong one.

His eyes darted back over to the map as multiple blinking dots appeared from the outer edge and caught his attention. He realized right away that it was the Chosen, and that they were headed for where his master was. There were five of them. Based on the colors of the dots, the group consisted of Takeru, Miyako, Yamato, Koushiro and Mimi.

"Wormmon!" Kaiser-sama’s voice snapped again. "Whenever you decide to _wake up_ , the Chosen are about to attack and I'm still missing the main antenna to the Dark Tower! I could cut out more than half of their forces if you sent someone with it. I can't turn it on without that part. All I have are workers right now, so I might have to retreat without some backup at least!"

Daisuke ran over to the box he’d set down and began quickly rummaging through it. If he’d heard that correctly, there should be Dark Tower parts inside... Sure enough, after just a bit of searching he found the antenna. He needed to take it, as well as some backup forces, out to his master immediately! He wasn't supposed to be around Kaiser-sama, but he was sure that his master would prefer he brought it to him in the current situation. He would immediately leave and return to the base if that’s what was desired.

After taking the antenna out of the box, Daisuke left the Control Room as fast as he could and made his way over to the first guard he saw. "Gorimon," he said and got its attention. "Master needs backup. Prepare a group. Keep in mind that you would have known of this if you’d been paying attention to the audio reports in the control room, as you are supposed to be doing while Master is out."

"O-Of course!" The Gorimon was startled out of his previously relaxed condition. He pulled out a communication device and ordered a flying combat squad to meet Daisuke in the top floor docking room. As soon as he reached his destination, Daisuke was pleased to find a group consisting of multiple Kuwagamon, Airdramon, and Flymon waiting for him.

As soon as Daisuke had climbed onto one of the Airdramon, he called out to the group, “Go!”

The docking bay doors opened and they took off as fast as they could. He was able to see the Chosen and Kaiser-sama's icons with his D3's map, but it didn't really indicate what was going on. All he knew was that they were most likely fighting, based on their close proximity to one another.

After a few minutes he could see his master in sight. “Airdramon,” Daisuke ordered quickly. "Take me to Kaiser-sama. The rest of you, spread out and even up the fight."

The digimon slaves did as they were instructed. Before Daisuke knew it he was hovering atop his Airdramon beside his master, who was standing on top of a cliff. Daisuke quickly held the antenna out to him, being careful not to fall off.

“Master!” Daisuke began with a bow. “I brought the-!"

"What are you doing here?!" Kaiser-sama cut Daisuke off furiously before he could answer that very question. This was what he got for disobeying direct orders.

"I brought you the spare antenna," Daisuke quickly answered, not wanting to displease his master any more than he already had. "I'll leave now if you wish, I apologize for my disobedience. I overheard your messages over the intercom though, so I had to take action while Wormmon was away."

"I..." his master trailed off, seeming to be taken by surprise. After a moment or two he growled and held out his hand to take the missing part. "Fine, give it here then."

Daisuke nodded and obeyed, urging the Airdramon closer to the cliffside so he could put it in his master's hand. The antenna was wrenched away, scratching Daisuke’s hand a bit. He didn't mind though. He understood that Kaiser-sama was upset with him for his insolence, so this was to be expected.

"I'm very sorry, Master," Daisuke said apologetically and bowed his head, hoping that it would please him at least a little bit. “I just didn't trust the foolish slaves to bring it to you undamaged. It was because of the guards not doing their job correctly that I was the only one who heard you. I believe Wormmon was simply busy, though. The Gorimon are to blame.”

"... It’s fine," Kaiser-sama sighed and looked away from him, a pained expression on his face that Daisuke didn't understand. Was his presence really that unpleasant? He supposed it was likely, as he wasn't perfect like his master was. At least his initiative had been helpful, even if unwelcome.

"Just..." his master suddenly spoke up, and Daisuke moved his attention back over him. "You can direct the slaves if you want, I don't really have the energy to fight right now."

What was causing Kaiser-sama to feel so down? He didn't normally get tired or depressed if a battle wasn't going well. It must be Daisuke himself that was the problem. He had most likely done something wrong and it was stressing his master out.

"Master, whatever I did to make you upset, I apologize." Daisuke bowed again. "I'll make it up to you by-"

"Shut up!" the Kaiser snapped up suddenly, and Daisuke closed his mouth immediately as ordered. "Don't start apologizing!"

Daisuke looked away, clearly unworthy of being near his master for what he had done. "Master, do you still want me to direct them?" he asked quietly, hoping for clarification before he either left or stayed.

"I don't care what you do," Kaiser-sama sighed. "But stop looking so... sad. And stop being so submissive. _And_ stop calling me that!"

"Should I instead call you Kaiser-sama, then?" Daisuke asked without looking up at him. This was becoming very confusing. His master had given him an order to obey and to submit to anything he was instructed to do and to call him Master. And yet he was now being told to do the exact opposite. It was beyond his understanding, and he was sure it went against the Bio Ring's enlightenment as well.

"What?!" Ken exclaimed, and the sound of him slapping the palm of his hand over his own forehead hurt Daisuke to hear. "Ugh... _No_. Just call me Ken. That's the only thing I want you to call me."

"Okay… Ke… Ken," Daisuke tried saying as he finally looked back up at his master, but it felt incredibly disrespectful. Using his master’s given name by itself like that... It just wasn't right. "Ken," he tried again, hoping to get a better feel for the new name. It still felt just as unnatural though.

Suddenly his master started laughing and shook his head. "Wow... You finally said what I wanted you to say, and I _still_ can't stand it..."

Daisuke didn't know what to say to that, so he remained silent. Nothing he did was good enough. He just couldn't make his master happy. He would have to keep trying though, for his master’s sake. He would need to find a way to improve himself as soon as possible - perhaps by training with the digimon and getting stronger, or he could ask Wormmon for advice.

"What would you have me do?" Daisuke asked, avoiding referring to Kaiser-sama at all this time. When his master cringed at the question though, he quickly tried to analyze what mistake he’d made in doing it that way. Perhaps that was more disrespectful than even just saying ‘Ken’ was?

"Nothing," Ken said quietly as his shoulders sagged. The expression in his eyes was sad, and his master seemed to realize something. "There's nothing you can do like… this."

Like this? Was he referring to his flaws as a human? That was just his nature though, he couldn't change it. No one could compare to Kaiser-sama’s perfection.

"Wipe that emotionless look off your face!" Ken snapped suddenly. "It doesn't suit you at all."

"Yes, Ken," Daisuke said with a nod. "Which emotion do you desire?"

"Look determined," his master answered immediately. "Have confidence and show it while you lead them. If you can't do that, then just go back to the base."

Daisuke turned to face the battle below. The Chosen were unable to reach them through the swarm of slaves that were in the way. Determined and confident... Such things felt familiar he supposed, but not enough that he could duplicate them anymore. He would try though, for his master's sake. He would be determined to protect his master from danger, and he was confident that he could come up with a good enough strategy to win the fight with relative ease.

"Kuwagamon, attack the cliffs!" Daisuke called out to the slaves below as his Airdramon spun around to give him a better view of the battle. "Cause a rockslide and crush the humans beneath it! Let the other slaves focus on their digimon, your goal is to kill the Chosen!"

Daisuke noticed his master twitch in his peripheral vision, and upon looking back at him he saw that Kaiser-sama’s eyes had widened. The Kuwagamon pulled back to get some momentum going, and Daisuke wasn't sure what to do. The look in his master's eyes... He clearly wasn't pleased with the directions he’d chosen for some reason. Should he stop the Kuwagamon?

"Master?" Daisuke asked, and then he shook his head at his unacceptable mistake. "I mean Ken, what-?"

Before he could finish his question, the Kuwagamon all flew forward and crashed into the cliffside. Large chunks of debris rolled down and the Chosen's digimon were barely fast enough to protect them from being crushed beneath the weight. Their digimon had at least taken the hits themselves, so the attack hadn't been a total waste. However...

"Ken, what's the matter?" Daisuke asked now that the attack was complete.

"Don't ask me questions!" his master yelled, and Daisuke looked back down at the battlefield. He nodded and continued the attack.

"Flymon, Airdramon, all of you work together to cut off the digimon from their partners! Separate them!" Daisuke tried his best to sound determined as he gave the orders. "Kuwagamon, just go after the humans! Do whatever you have to do to kill them!"

"What are you doing?" Kaiser-sama asked suddenly, his voice sounding very concerned. "You're supposed to defeat the _digimon_ , so why are you attacking the Chosen?"

Daisuke frowned. "I'm just doing as you instructed, sir." He was unable to say 'Ken' again… He just couldn't do it. He'd get in trouble if he said Kaiser-sama or Master though, so he hoped that this compromise would be acceptable. “I’m cutting off the digimon from their source of power,” Daisuke explained. “Destroying that power is the easiest way to win. The humans are weak and delicate, and their bodies will be easy to destroy without their digimon’s protection."

Ken's expression was unreadable to Daisuke. It was as though he wasn’t sure how to feel. Daisuke’s explanation had most likely not been clear enough, and his master was now confused. He would need to try again and do a better job so that-

A loud scream drew his attention back down to the battlefield, and he found that Miyako had been pinned down by one of the Kuwagamon. Excellent, his plan was working better than he’d expected. He heard the other Chosen shouting from nearby, but it was too hard to understand what they were saying from across the distance.

"Stop!" Ken ordered suddenly, and all of the slaves ceased their assault.

"Is defeating the Chosen not the objective, sir?" Daisuke asked, hoping to understand the overall goal better. He could not effectively direct the troops if this was misunderstood, and he was clearly not on the same page as Kaiser-sama was.

"I..." his master trailed off, not seeming happy at all. Once again his emotions were confusing and unreadable to Daisuke, and his eyes were even watering up a bit. Was he on the verge of tears? What had caused his master so much turmoil?

Suddenly Kaiser-sama gasped and held his head, doubling over in pain a few seconds later. He groaned and clutched harder, the pain appearing to intensify quickly. Daisuke moved his Airdramon closer and leapt onto the cliff beside his master, placing a hand on his shoulder. Kaiser-sama seemed startled by the sudden contact though, and he jerked away. The action caused him to trip over his own feet and stumble forward. Daisuke gasped and grabbed his master’s arm before he tumbled off the edge.

"Sir!" Daisuke breathed a sigh of relief. "Why did you jerk away? You nearly fell off!"

"Get away from me!" Kaiser-sama shouted and shoved him back, Daisuke barely landing on his Airdramon. "Just retreat!" his master shouted louder so that everyone in the area could hear him this time. "Get back to the base, forget the damned tower!"

Daisuke didn't question or disobey, and he simply let his Airdramon follow the group without another word. Before he knew it they were back at the base. His master was already at the exit door as Daisuke was leaping off his Airdramon.

"Master!" he said accidentally and mentally berated himself for not using the term ‘sir’ instead. "What did I do wrong? I will do whatever it takes to get better."

Kaiser-sama didn't turn around to look at him. Instead his face fell and his shoulders began to shake. Was he crying? Was he angry?

"Ken," Daisuke forced himself to say for his master’s sake. "It is clear that I have disappointed you, so I will try to improve and I will leave you alone in the meantime, as I can tell you desire. I'll do anything for you. Just let me know so I can-"

Kaiser-sama turned around and suddenly covered Daisuke's mouth with his gloved hand. The digimon that were with them all awkwardly left the docking room. Once they were gone there was a very tense silence, his master’s hand still covering Daisuke's mouth.

The silence continued on, neither of them moving with the exception of Ken's still-shaking shoulders. His eyes were facing the floor but they were shaded by his glasses. If his master wanted him to be silent, then he would be.

Eventually Kaiser-sama’s shoulders stilled, and he finally looked up at Daisuke. His expression held many emotions, but none were ones that Daisuke could really understand anymore. He could recall feeling them in the past, before his enlightenment, but that was all. In a way he wished he could relate to them more, but only for the sake of helping his master.

"Y-You..." Kaiser-sama’s voice hitched and he took a deep breath. "I can't stand you... I can't stand... Why are you so quiet?!"

Daisuke frowned. "I thought you wanted me to be silent."

"No!" his master shouted.

“But…” Daisuke trailed off, not understanding the situation at all. “But you-"

“Yell at me!” Ken clutched at his hair and shut his eyes tight. “Scream that you hate me! That’s what you would do right now after everything I’ve done to you!”

Daisuke stared at his master and blinked, trying to comprehend the order. He cleared his throat to try and follow it, but he knew it would be difficult. "I hate... I... I hate..." Daisuke shook his head and took a deep breath. He tried again, "I hate... y-you... I hate... I-"

"Stop saying it, _yell it_!" Kaiser-sama cut him off, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him roughly.

Daisuke opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Finally he shook his head and looked down at the floor so that his unworthy gaze would not meet his master’s eyes. “I am very sorry, Master…” Daisuke trailed off in shame. “It is simply impossible for me to perform such an action. I cannot yell at you, and I cannot hate you. I have failed you.”

Daisuke looked back up when he heard choking, and he was shocked to find that his master was crying for some reason. Tears were streaming down his face and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. Daisuke was about to suggest taking him to the medical room to be checked out, when suddenly Kaiser-sama reached up and grabbed the Bio Ring around his neck.

Daisuke felt nails scratching against his skin as his master searched for something along the inside of the ring. Daisuke was about to ask if there was a problem with it, when suddenly there was a loud beep as his master pressed a button that he hadn’t realized was there. The Bio Ring shattered, and the pieces clattered to the floor around his feet.

A white light engulfed his eyes and a loud, high pitched ringing noise shocked his ears. Daisuke screamed and grabbed his head, a sharp pressure throbbing against his temples. When the room suddenly shifted and spun on its own, Daisuke laid down on the floor so that he wouldn’t fall and hurt himself more.

He was vaguely aware of a soft, shaking hand on his shoulder and a voice in his ear. He couldn't make out any words over the ringing though, and his balance was so off that he could barely tell what was happening anyway. He was pretty sure the one talking was Ken... Ken…

Visions flashed in front of his eyes - Hikari hurt and shaking on the ground, and the other Chosen all huddled together with terrified expressions on their faces. He saw Fladramon assaulting Greymon, and his own hands forcing a new ring back onto V-Mon’s injured neck. His partner had been crying just before that, begging him not to do it before his eyes turned red. He saw Takeru and Taichi shaking violently as they were electrocuted by the Bio Ring, and Miyako nearly being eaten by Kuwagamon.

"You..." Daisuke's arms shook as days of blocked emotions suddenly exploded from his within his chest. " _You son of a bitch_!" His fist swung and connected hard with Ken’s face, a loud _crack_ overpowering all other sounds in the room. The ringing in his ears hadn’t stopped in the slightest, but he’d still heard it. His hand erupted with pain, but the adrenalin pushed him forward.

He forced himself back up onto his feet. The room was still spinning and there were white lights dancing around his eyes, but through the haze he could see Ken standing back up. The moment he saw his face again there was another eruption inside him.

Daisuke screamed furiously and threw himself onto the Kaiser, sending them both crashing to the floor. He easily straddled over Ken and pulled his arm back. “ _I almost killed them!_ ” his voice cracked as he shrieked and hit Ken in the face repeatedly, who didn’t even attempt to stop him. Daisuke felt tears running down his face. “ _I hurt all of them!_ Hikari... Sh-She could be in the hospital now! _What if she’s dying_?!” Daisuke dropped his hands down onto either side of Ken’s head. “She and Taichi haven’t been back since I… Since I...!”

With a gasp, Daisuke was yanked off of Ken by one of the Gorimon guards. He struggled and tried to wrench himself free of their grasp, but they were much too strong.

“If they’re dead...!” Daisuke grit his teeth as he grabbed onto the doorframe of the docking bay right as he was being pulled through it. “If they’re dead _I’ll kill you_! You’d better _pray_ they’re alright!” Daisuke panted and growled furiously from the effort it took to hold onto the wall, his fingers aching terribly. “I thought there was... some good in you... but there isn’t! You’re just... a _demon_! You’re empty and heartless! You’re-!”

The last thing Daisuke saw before the Gorimon finally knocked him out was Ken shaking on his knees and crying into his hands, his glasses discarded on the floor.

********************

Wormmon entered the infirmary slowly, not wanting to disturb the sleeping human. He would still need a lot more rest after everything that had happened. The guards would have just thrown him back in the dungeons had Wormmon not intervened.

As he looked over at Daisuke’s sleeping form, he felt his antennas droop sadly. He wished he could do more for him… Daisuke’s hatred for Ken was probably irreversible now, but Wormmon couldn’t blame him if that were the case. If he were in his position he'd probably feel the same way, though it was hard to say for sure; no matter how much pain Ken had inflicted on him, he'd still never once given him a dark ring. Why that was he didn’t know, and what Daisuke had been through he could only imagine.

The machines beeped quietly in the room as Wormmon jumped up onto the chair in front of the sink. He just didn’t know what to do anymore… All he really _could_ do at this point was tell Daisuke the truth as soon as he woke up. Whatever the boy chose to do with the information was up to him.

Wormmon prepared a damp towel so that he could change the one on Daisuke’s forehead. He worked as quietly as he could, but it was difficult when he had to turn on the water. Sure enough, he turned back around to find Daisuke’s eyes clenching shut as he woke up in pain. The blanket that had been draped over him was now all twisted up as he turned onto his side and moaned.

Still trying to be quiet and to not disturb Daisuke’s headache even more, Wormmon made his way over and jumped up onto the bed next to him. He removed the old towel and placed the new one over him, which seemed to wake him up fully.

Daisuke gasped and was about to sit up, but he groaned and rubbed his temples almost immediately.

“It’s okay,” Wormmon said quickly. “I won’t hurt you. I just came to give you a new towel.”

"Huh?" Daisuke squinted and tried to focus on him, apparently not as awake as he’d initially appeared. After a moment he looked around, blinking and cringing. He adjusted himself into a more upright position and leaned against the headboard, holding the towel to his forehead with his hand. After a moment or two he looked down.

Wormmon wilted at the angry look he was receiving and glanced away awkwardly. He understood… He really did. As Ken’s partner, he had to take some of the blame for this too - especially since he’d been helping Ken of his own free will all this time. It surely didn't make any sense to Daisuke how he could be so weak and not stand up to Ken the way the Chosen could.

“Daisuke,” Wormmon spoke up after a while. “I wanted to-”

" _Explain_?" Daisuke cut him off with a sharp tone of voice, as though the idea that anything could be said at this point was laughable. Maybe that was true, but...

"Yes," Wormmon nodded, figuring that any long-winded attempt to apologize was just going to be met with more anger. "Will you let me?"

Daisuke glared and didn't answer right away, looking over at the wall on the far side of the room. He seemed to be thinking about it, though his anger hadn’t lessened at all from the looks of it. His fists were shaking and his eyes were ice cold.

"What could you _possibly_ say?" Daisuke asked eventually, his words hissing furiously from his mouth.

Wormmon sighed and tried to find the right words, but there really weren’t any that would magically fix the situation. So instead he just said it bluntly, "My weakness is why this has continued on for so long, so please don’t blame Ken. As his partner it was my responsibility to protect him, but I-"

"Don't justify his actions!" Daisuke yelled and Wormmon winced. " _He's_ the one who did this, not the digimon, not my friends, not any of the slaves, and not _you_ , either!"

“My lack of action makes me just as responsible, Daisuke,” Wormmon explained as best he could. “I’ve been trying so hard not to hurt Ken that others have been hurt instead. Do you understand? Because I’ve done nothing for so long I now must take the blame as well. I’m not saying Ken is innocent - I’m not saying that at all. But… you don’t understand everything, either.”

Daisuke looked back over at the wall, his glare not lessening in the slightest. His shoulders seemed less stiff though, so that was something. “Whatever,” Daisuke grumbled. “You can _both_ be horrible monsters then. You win. But it doesn't fix any of this."

"No, it doesn't," Wormmon sighed. "But there’s something that could. Ken actually can't control what he does anymore, and I mean that literally. His free will is gone. He's being used and controlled, and I’m the only one who knows what’s going on. I let my fear of him getting hurt stop me from seeking help sooner… and that _is_ my fault."

Daisuke was silent, and Wormmon wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. He couldn’t quite read the expression on his face anymore, but he didn’t get much of a chance to try before Daisuke had clenched his eyes shut. When he opened them, he glared down at his hands in his lap and seemed to be struggling with his thoughts.

“Daisuke…” Wormmon dared to speak up again, his own eyes shining with tears now. “I haven’t seen Ken in years... I’ve only seen the Kaiser. I’ve tried everything to bring him back but _nothing_ has worked. I’ve been so afraid that if I made a wrong move he might end up lost forever… But somehow while you’ve been here I’ve seen him again. It never lasts long, but you’ve brought him back out.”

Daisuke shut his eyes again and took a deep breath.

Wormmon looked over at the infirmary door. “If you’ll come with me I can tell you more. What I _really_ need you to see isn’t in here."

Daisuke didn't move or open his eyes at first, and Wormmon was afraid he might say no. Thankfully though, after another moment or two, Daisuke swung his legs over the side of the bed. With hope in his heart, Wormmon lead the human down the empty corridors toward the docking bay. He’d put all of the guards on different routes that day and shut off the security cameras in the hallway so that no one would interrupt them.

Once they’d reached their destination and the doors were shut, Wormmon looked back up at Daisuke for a moment.

"There's something in Ken's body that looks similar to a plant spore," Wormmon began as he lead the way over to a panel on the wall, opening it up and revealing a hidden storage area. Inside was a small electronic tablet that he pulled out and turned on. “It looks like a seed, but it’s actually mechanical.” After the device finished loading, Wormmon brought up a picture and Daisuke sat down on the floor to get a better look at it. The image turned into a 3D rendering of the spore.

“I met Ken when he first came to the Digital World,” Wormmon explained. “He was shy and quiet, and he was very kind. At one point we fought a very evil Digimon named Millenniumon. When he died, he shot out many of these spores and one of them lodged itself into the back of Ken's neck. That's when he started to change... He got colder and angrier as time went on, until he stopped visiting me altogether. I’m not sure how much time passed before I saw him again, but when I did he wasn't my Ken anymore."

Wormmon looked away, trying to keep his emotions under control. "The spore increases the mental and physical capabilities of its host... Ken's not really a genius, it's all the spore. It's making him stronger so that he can take over the Digital World, and on top of that its suppressing his memories. Ken doesn't seem to remember me now, and I don’t think he even realizes that I'm his digimon partner anymore. All he knows is what the spore tells him. I doubt that he actually knew how to make any of the stuff he’s created as the Kaiser... It was all just put in his head by the spore."

Daisuke put his head down in his knees and was silent. Wormmon wanted to comfort him or to give him some good news, but unfortunately there wasn’t much of that to be had.

"Ken didn't have a very good childhood,” Wormmon sighed. “The spore used that to drag him down into this darkness. His brother Osamu was the real genius, and he overshadowed Ken completely. I don’t think they meant to, but Ken’s parents neglected him for the sake of his brother. Ken was too shy as a kid to make friends, so Osamu was all he really had. His brother wasn't a bad person, but all the stress caused him to lash out at Ken a lot. After Osamu died he was never quite the same… There were times when Ken wished for Osamu to go away, and then one day he was hit by a car. Ken blamed himself back then, and I know he still does today.”

Wormmon pondered for a moment, not sure how to explain the rest. “By turning Ken into a genius, the spore has essentially turned him into Osamu. His parents aren’t confronting his death because they’re using Ken to replace their lost son now. In a sense not much has changed, except that Ken can’t actually handle all the stress of being famous like his brother could. It was easy for the spore to break him..."

"How do you know all of this...?" Daisuke whispered, not lifting his head up yet.

"Ken used to talk to me about anything," Wormmon lamented. "Before Osamu died, anyway... As for the spore, I’ve had Andromon's help with examining it for many months now. The slaves listen to just about anything I tell them, which has always confused me. Maybe a part of Ken does remember me, and that’s why he gives me privileges and doesn’t enslave me? I’d like to think that, but I’m not sure."

“Why did you wait until _now_ to say anything?” Daisuke finally looked up at him, and Wormmon wilted at the expression on his face. “We would have listened to you!”

"I’m sorry..." Wormmon said and closed his eyes. "It’s just that if Ken finds out about the spore, I’m afraid something terrible might happen to him… It almost seems to have a level of self-awareness, and I’m afraid that it might somehow wipe him out for good if he learns about it. Up until now I thought he might already be gone… But because of you I know he’s still in there!”

Wormmon took a deep breath before he got too emotional. He’d already cried enough lately, and this time it was important to keep his head clear. “Thunderballmon’s electricity hitting Ken instead of you damaged the spore somehow, and it’s only made things worse."

"But wouldn’t that be a good thing?" Daisuke frowned, clearly confused.

“Not in this case,” Wormmon shook his head and pressed a key on the tablet. The image zoomed out to show the location of the spore inside an X-Ray of Ken’s body. “According to Andromon’s research, the spore is entirely self-sufficient. It fuels the host’s negativity, and then it uses that negativity as an energy source to stay active. But after being damaged it seems to need a lot more power now. Ken’s negative energy isn’t enough anymore, so it’s been having to use his life force as a supplement.”

“So it’s…” Daisuke furrowed his brows and stared at the image on the tablet, clearly confused and trying to piece all of the information together. “Using Ken’s energy to stay alive because it needs more than it should now after we broke it...?”

“Basically,” Wormmon nodded. “All of Ken’s energy is now being shared between himself and the spore, and there isn’t enough for both of them. If Ken starts to wake up enough that he could actually shut the spore off, then it has to overpower him to keep itself in control.”

“That’s why he keeps fainting...” Daisuke put his head back down in his knees.

"Yes," Wormmon shut the tablet off and put it back into his secret storage area, and then he walked back over to Daisuke. "If Ken comes back fully then the spore will finally shut off - maybe even forever. It knows that though, so it kicks him out. By doing it over and over again, Ken’s life force is quickly draining away and his body can’t replenish as much energy as its losing.”

“So if this keeps up…” Daisuke trailed off, already seeming to know the answer. His voice was muffled behind his knees but not so much that he couldn’t be understood.

“He’ll die,” Wormmon said and shivered. He hated the finality of it, but he also knew that he needed to be as honest as possible in this matter. “There’s a chance that Ken could overpower it fully and win, but it’s a lot less likely…”

The docking bay was quiet again, and the silence out in the hall only added to it. Daisuke hadn’t sat back up yet, so Wormmon simply waited. He knew that he’d probably just overwhelmed the boy with all of this information, but it was the only way. There was no simple way to put it, and the situation was now dire enough that he had no choice but to seek help.

After a bit though, something occurred to Wormmon. “I’m sorry I’ve been so distant while you’ve been here,” he explained. “I’ve been so focused on this research since Thunderballmon’s attack that I haven’t left Andromon’s lab very much. It’s been a lot harder to keep Ken’s attention off the spore because of all this, but I had to try... I couldn’t take the chance of it just draining everything out of him at once.”

Daisuke still hadn’t responded, and Wormmon realized that he was going to need more time to sort his thoughts out after hearing all of this. It must be terribly overwhelming... He probably didn't know what to think anymore, especially after what had just happened with the Bio Ring.

"I know that I'm not going to make this any easier for you..." Wormmon said as he walked over to the control panel on the wall next to the door they’d entered in through. "But the main reason I brought you here and cleared away all of the guards was so that I could do this..."

Wormmon pushed a button on the panel and the large metal doors on the other side of the room lifted up, revealing the ground outside the base. At the same time, another door opened up and out of a small storage room came V-Mon. He seemed confused and disoriented, his dark ring no longer around his neck. In his hands were Daisuke's D3... They could walk right outside and leave.

Daisuke's head snapped up and he stared around himself in disbelief. After a moment or two he scrambled up to his feet and ran over to V-Mon, throwing his arms around his partner in a tight hug.

“V-Mon!” Daisuke wiped the happy tears from his eyes. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, Wormmon let me out!” V-Mon hugged him back and smiled.

"I'm giving you the choice," Wormmon called out to them and his heart ached painfully at the same time. This was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, and his voice was starting to shake. "I don't want to let you go… Daisuke, you’re the only one who’s ever managed to get through to Ken. I don't think anyone else can do it, but... but it has to be your choice to stay. If you can't bring yourself to help him anymore... If you've been too betrayed... Then _please_ just go! You don't deserve to be dragged down with us!"

Daisuke looked up from his hug and over at the open docking bay doors. Finally he rose to his feet and slowly made his way over to it, staring out at his potential freedom. He could go see his friends again and have his life back.

Wormmon sighed and looked down as V-Mon followed after him, already knowing what they were going to choose. At least he'd finally done something right. He hadn't done enough to save Ken, but at least he’d been able to help someone else.

"Once you step outside, I'll close the door..." Wormmon trailed off sadly. "It will lock up automatically so you won't be able to get back inside. I’ll do everything I can to keep your escape unknown for as long as possible, but you’ll want to get back to the Real World quickly."

Daisuke was standing in the threshold now. One of his hands was holding V-Mon’s, while the other was pressed up against the wall beside the doorframe. Next to his fingers was another door control panel just like the one Wormmon had used. One more step forward and he would be in the dirt outside, and they could go home.

"Daisuke..." V-Mon trailed off and looked up at his partner. "I don't know what's going on, I couldn't hear anything in there."

Daisuke was staring out into the distance. He smiled when a breeze rolled into the docking room and closed his eyes, his hair sweeping about. Wormmon was pretty sure the last time the boy had felt fresh air was all those months ago when he'd first been captured. While he'd been out of the base with the Bio Ring on earlier, that freedom had certainly not been appreciated.

Suddenly the docking room door gave a lurch and began to lower, Daisuke's hand sliding down from the second control panel on the wall beside his hand. Wormmon watched in shock as he backed up into the base again, the opening out into the open Digital World getting smaller and smaller.

“D-Daisuke?” V-Mon stammered, looking back and forth between the shrinking opening and his partner. “Aren’t we getting out?!”

Daisuke looked down at him and smiled sadly. “You are.”

V-Mon’s expression of confusion turned to fear, and he shrieked when Daisuke suddenly shoved him down and rolled him beneath the lowering door just before it closed. Wormmon was speechless as the echoing boom of the doors closing and locking filled the docking room. It quieted down after a moment, with the exception of a small pounding noise against the doors that was coming from outside.

"V-Mon has my D3, so he can find the others…” Daisuke’s voice cracked and he looked down at the floor. “Now that he’s outside the signal won’t be jammed. They’ll be on their way soon... You’ll probably need to relocate the base now.”

Daisuke’s shoulders started shaking suddenly. “K-Ken could relapse again and try to hurt V-Mon, s-so… So I had to make him leave… I feel really bad, but I can’t… I can’t stand to ever see another d-dark ring on him… I can still see him crying and begging me n-not… not to put it… b-back on...”

Daisuke put his face in his hands and shuddered from the sobs he couldn’t keep back anymore, and Wormmon’s heart ached for him. He understood the pain of watching his partner suffer better than Daisuke could possibly know…

Daisuke shook his head suddenly and ran his hands through his hair, seeming to try and compose himself. After a moment he turned to face Wormmon. “I haven't forgiven Ken for what he did. I don’t know if I ever will... but I won't just leave him here to rot, either.”

Wormmon didn’t respond as Daisuke left the docking room without another word. He felt tears in his eyes once again, but this time they weren’t tears of sadness.


	13. Beneath the Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

Daisuke sat crisscross on his bed, hesitantly watching the shadow moving beneath his bedroom door. He knew it was Ken pacing out there without even having to see him do it. He’d get so close, too… He’d make it right up to the entryway and then he'd just stand there for a while, doing absolutely nothing. Ultimately he’d give up and go right back to pacing again.

For someone as loud and aggressive as the Kaiser, he sure had a problem confronting people.

It had been about ten minutes now - much longer than the last time Ken had done this. Truthfully though, Daisuke wasn’t so sure that he was ready to talk to him yet. Ignoring him certainly wasn’t going to help, but at the same time he was afraid of what subjects might come up.

Avoiding the Kaiser for the last three days had been easy considering that Ken seemed to be doing the same thing to him. He’d spent that time thinking _way_ too much about everything, and now he was done with it. He wanted to help Ken if he really was being used the way Wormmon had described, but the betrayal of the Bio Ring was still fresh in his mind.

Daisuke wasn't the kind of person to hold a grudge normally, so this entire situation was hard for him to respond to. He was the type of person to get really angry for a while and then forget about it. Something about this was different though… He’d been hurt in a way that he’d never experienced before, and time alone wouldn't be enough to heal those wounds.

As the shadow approached again, Daisuke gave a long, deep sigh and closed his eyes. He just wished he knew which Ken was out there - the nasty Kaiser that had put that Bio Ring on him, the regretful Ken that had broken it, or perhaps someone in between? The fact that Ken - whichever 'Ken' this currently was - was having so much trouble confronting him at least implied that maybe he really did feel sorry.

With another sigh, Daisuke slid off the side of the bed and walked over to the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob, and before he could reconsider what he was about to do, he quickly opened it. As expected there stood Ken, looking quite startled by the sudden change.

"Déjà vu, much?" Daisuke tried to joke around with some sarcasm, but the emotion just wasn't there. He couldn't get into it like he normally could. "You know, it's not normal to be afraid of doors."

"I..." Ken trailed off, looking awfully embarrassed. "I'm not afraid of doors, I'm just-"

"Afraid of _me_?" Daisuke finished for him, unable to stop himself. Just because they needed to talk didn’t mean he had to be nice…

Ken looked down awkwardly, implying that Daisuke’s evaluation was correct. He didn’t retaliate or get angry though, so maybe he really was normal-Ken right now. His hair wasn't spiked up or anything, and was instead hanging down flat against his face. He was even wearing his gray school clothes instead of his Kaiser outfit. Was that spore-thing not active? Was that even a good thing? He really wished he understood this more than he did…

Both of them seemed to notice each other’s condition at the same time. Daisuke’s right hand was wrapped up in bandages, while Ken’s face was bruised where it had been hit during their last exchange. Daisuke’s adrenalin had made it easy to keep punching, but as soon as he’d woken up later he’d regretted it quite a bit. He still couldn’t grip anything, but at least he could move his fingers a little bit now. It was getting better though, especially with the weird healing cream they had in the infirmary. The same thing appeared true for the bruises on Ken's face.

Ken opened his mouth to speak, but as soon as his eyes traveled past Daisuke and into the bedroom, he stopped. "Uh..." Ken trailed off after a moment.

Daisuke turned around and looked over at the many balloons in his room. “Oh, um…” He fiddled with his fingers and felt even more awkward now. "It's uh… my birthday tomorrow." He almost felt bad telling Ken that, but he really didn’t know what else to say to him. He wasn’t going to bother trying to come up with another reason why he’d put balloons all over the place.

Ken seemed surprised after a few moments, but also sad. “Really...?”

"Yep, the big 18!" Daisuke gave a weak grin, not even remotely happy to be spending such an important day in a place like this. He'd chosen this though, so he wasn't going to complain too much. "I just have this tradition on my birthday where I decorate everything with balloons. I like to watch stupid movies and eat cake with my sister too. Not that I can do that this year, but… I got as close as I could I guess."

"Oh..." Ken trailed off weakly and looked down at the floor, clearly feeling guilty. Daisuke wasn’t sure how to react, so he just stayed quiet. After a moment Ken continued, "Out of curiosity… where'd you get all the balloons from?"

"That bookshelf you gave me." Daisuke pointed across the room at it. "You said I could just tell it what I wanted, and I knew of this book that had balloons inside the front cover. It was some stupid kid's story called Bella's Birthday Bonanza. It only came with five balloons though, so I asked for ten copies."

Ken laughed, and while it was fairly half hearted it did still hold some genuine emotion. "Is that how you got those fake snakes to put in my coffee mug that one time?"

"Heh, yeah..." Daisuke laughed a bit at the memory, but it was hard to get into it. The hallway was silent and awkward again just a few seconds later. They both looked down at their feet, messed with their fingernails, tapped their feet - whatever they could to take off some of the strain.

“So…” Daisuke sighed, deciding to just get to the point. “You wanted to talk to me?”

“Right…” Ken sighed in almost the exact same tone. “I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow I'll be releasing you near one of the gates back to the Real World. You should pack up tonight, and one of my guards will escort you to the docking room in the morning. I uh…” Ken shifted a bit. “I didn't know it was your birthday tomorrow, so I guess this works out better than I thought.”

Daisuke didn’t try to hide the frustration on his face. Seriously?! He hadn’t been able to leave the base back when he’d wanted to, and then as soon as he decided to stay for his own reasons, everyone wanted to try and kick him out?!

"Why are you letting me go?" Daisuke asked more angrily than he'd intended to.

Ken frowned, clearly confused by the reaction he'd just received. "I brought you here to be the test subject for the Bio Ring, but I've abandoned that now, so… you have no purpose here anymore. I may as well just let you go. I thought… I thought this would make you happy."

"Make me happy?!" Daisuke snapped. "So after brainwashing me into hurting my friends, you want to just throw me out without even apologizing first?! I've been waiting _three days_ for you to say sorry to me, and then when you finally confront me it's just to get rid of me like a coward?!"

Ken's head had fallen and his hair now covered most of his face. "Motomiya... I _am_ sorry..." His voice was quiet, but Daisuke could tell it was also honest. "But actions speak louder than words, so... so I thought this would mean more to you. After everything I’ve done, I didn’t think you’d want to hear some cheap apology… I know I wouldn’t buy it if I were in your shoes..."

Daisuke took a deep breath and looked down at the floor. Ken’s answer had made sense. It was the first damned thing in the last three days that had... "Alright," he nodded, making sure to keep all traces of hostility out of his voice this time. "But I'm not leaving, so you'll have to repay me some other way."

Ken looked back up at him finally. "You... What?"

"I'm staying here," Daisuke reiterated.

Ken was silent for a moment, blinking rapidly. "But… But I don’t under- You _want_ to stay here?"

"No," Daisuke said immediately. "Of course I don’t _want_ to stay here, but I _have_ to. Before you ask though, _no_ , I can’t tell you why." Daisuke had no intention of going against Wormmon’s direct order to not tell Ken about the spore under _any_ circumstances. It sounded like it could be pretty dangerous to tell him about it.

"But...!" Ken seemed completely lost now, his voice turning a bit frantic. "But your family! Your friends! You can go back to them and fight me with V-Mon again, and... and I'm giving that to you _willingly_! Why would you want to stay here and miss your chance to leave?!"

"There's..." Daisuke trailed off, being very careful of how he worded this. "There's something I need to find out before I can go. Once I figure it out, then I’ll leave."

"What do you need to know?" Ken raised an eyebrow.

“I can't tell you,” Daisuke said firmly. “And if you _really_ want to repay me for the Bio Ring, then you won't keep asking me about it.”

There was a stiff silence between them as soon as Daisuke brought the Bio Ring back up. It was the only thing he'd ever seen Ken regret no matter what mood he was in, and while he didn't want to keep bringing it up and using it against him, he simply had to in this case.

Ken sighed after a bit and pulled some pills out of his pocket, as well as a small vial of water. He quickly put the tablets into his mouth and drank the liquid, rubbing his temples afterward. It was pain medicine most likely, and Daisuke couldn’t help wondering if the spore was giving him more frequent headaches now. Why else would he just carry that around with him?

"I really don’t understand..." Ken said as he continued to rub his head. "But fine, if that’s really what you want then stay I guess... I won't speak to you anymore, so you can just be here in your room and do whatever it is you feel you need to do."

"That doesn't work," Daisuke said and shook his head, trying once again to find a way to say this without _saying_ it. "I still have to see you to get my answer before I can leave." How would he ever know if there really was a good Ken deep down beneath that icy exterior if they avoided each other the whole time?

Ken just stared at him for a moment or two, seeming to be at a complete loss for words now. It took him a little bit to finally speak up again, "That doesn't make any sense at all whatso-"

“I know, _I know_ ,” Daisuke groaned. “Like, for real, _I know_! But for now just let me keep going where I want around the base and let me see you when I ask to."

"I just don't know how much more of you I can handle!" Ken admitted and crossed his arms, Daisuke laughing a bit in response. "You’re a real handful, you know that?"

“Yep,” Daisuke smirked. “It’s not an accident.”

“Oh, don’t worry…” Ken trailed off, though he there was a tad bit of levity in his voice this time. “I’m well aware of that now...” After another moment or two he gave a defeated sigh. “Fine, if that’s really what you want then I guess you’ll have your wish. If you change your mind though, just let me know."

Ken was quiet after that, though he was still rubbing his forehead idly. Daisuke was happy that Ken had agreed to give him what he wanted, but at the same time he was also sad to once again have to refuse to leave the base when the chance had been presented to him. He almost wished Wormmon hadn’t told him everything...

"Hey, so," Daisuke began as a thought occurred to him. "Can I ask you another thing?"

"That... depends..." Ken trailed off nervously.

“Will you take me somewhere outside the base today?” Daisuke couldn’t help getting a bit excited at the thought. “And maybe from time to time afterward? I _really_ need to get out of here before I explode or something! I think I'm starting to get claustrophobic, and that's never happened to me before! All these damned metal walls with no windows... _ugh_! I can't _stand it_!"

“Uh…” Ken tone of voice made his confusion quite obvious. He didn’t seem to want to try making sense of the things that came out of Daisuke’s mouth anymore, though. “Where do you want to go?”

"The beach!" Daisuke’s answer came immediately. Oh man… Going outside again where there was real, actual _air_ , and sky, and wind, and no walls, and...!

“If that’s what would make you happy…” Ken said in complete disbelief, but nonetheless he nodded. “It'll take some time to get there though, so start getting yourself ready. I'll come back and get you in a couple hours, I guess… I need to finish something first."

Ken shook his head and walked down the hallway back toward the control room. Daisuke shut his bedroom door quietly and then threw himself onto the bed happily. Oh _man_ , he didn't even care if things were going to be awkward with Ken there! He was _going outside_!

********************

There was a high wind current that day, making it difficult to ride atop the Airdramon. At least the weather was nice and sunny otherwise. The last thing Ken needed right now was rain on top of all this madness... He'd only agreed to do this under the condition that they went to a beach in one of his controlled areas, just in case the Chosen were lurking around somewhere.

Watching the way his prisoner shivered with happiness and bounced up and down with excitement next to him made Ken realize that Daisuke had _really_ needed this. It was like watching a four year old that had been locked in a car for five hours. No wonder this was all he'd wanted…

Then again, if he'd just left the base entirely like Ken had suggested, then he could have done this whenever he wanted to. He just didn't understand what was going on in Daisuke’s head at all. What could he possibly want to find out that required he stay in the base?

At least Daisuke was himself again, with his full range of emotions. It wasn’t a normal range, either. All of his emotions were always so extreme compared to other people. Daisuke was never just mad, he was _furious_. He didn’t just get excited, he got _ecstatic_. It was never just payback he wanted, it was full-fledged _revenge_. And his cheerfulness was so strong that it was almost contagious, Ken often finding it bleeding into his own mood at times.

Ken had only ever seen Daisuke truly terrified once, and that was when he’d put the Bio Ring on him. He never wanted to see that again... As exhausting as Daisuke could be, all of that was what made him who he was. He was just so _alive_ , more so than the average person, and that ring had destroyed all of it. It made him sick to even think about.

Ken watched with amusement as Daisuke leapt from atop the Airdramon as they were landing by the shore, stumbling over his feet and nearly falling on his face in the sand. As Ken made his way over to the shoreline where Daisuke had gone, he was surprised to find himself enjoying the feel of the breeze on his skin. He was still in his school clothes, having lacked the energy to put on his Kaiser uniform before they left. He probably should have for the sake of his image, but he just hadn’t cared enough.

It was strange… he remembered hating the beach quite strongly in the past. He'd never had a good time going anywhere outside, but oceans had always given him a particularly bad anxiety. He could swim well enough and he wasn’t afraid of water. Pools had always been fine with him, but lakes or oceans for some reason _really_ creeped him out. It was especially bad at night.

"I don't get it, Ken," Daisuke finally spoke, his eyes scanning over the view. "How can you prefer a metal box over a place like this?"

What a strange question that was, but when he actually thought about it he really wasn’t sure why he preferred the base. He _did_ prefer it, didn't he? He'd always told himself that he did, and so far he always had. But looking at it all right now, he didn't really know what he was feeling. About the only thing he could figure out for certain was that he didn’t want to return to the base anytime soon, and he'd never felt that way before.

Suddenly Ken realized that Daisuke was still looking at him and was probably waiting for an answer.

“I don't know how to answer that,” Ken said finally. “I've never cared about things like this, especially not in the Digital World. The wind, the warmth of the sun, the sounds, the water… It’s all just data simulations. None of it is real, so I've never cared.”

Daisuke's face had slowly fallen into disappointment as Ken spoke.

"But..." Ken frowned. "I guess it doesn’t feel so meaningless right now... The wind is kind of refreshing, and the sun is nice... The way the water sparkles is pretty neat too, I suppose. Huh..." Ken turned his head to the side a bit, trying to get a better view. It really was beautiful.

When he looked back over at Daisuke he was met with a soft smile. Ken really wasn’t sure what he’d said that would make him happy though.

"Ahh!" Daisuke gave a sudden sigh of relief and threw himself down into the dry sand nearby, looking up at the clouds. "Lay down, Ken!"

Ken _really_ didn't want to do that, but he'd come all the way out here for Daisuke’s sake, so... With a sigh of his own, he compromised on sitting beside the other boy but not laying down fully. He hating having sand in his hair… Maybe Daisuke could just shake it out, but it wasn’t that easy for him.

As he looked up at the clouds, he found them to be rather relaxing. He'd never understood the appeal of staring up at them and finding shapes or whatever it was that people did, but he supposed they weren’t so terrible to look at today.

"Hey, look at that one!" Daisuke suddenly pointed up at the sky. Ken followed the direction of his finger, and found what he assumed was the cloud that he was being directed to. "It looks like Wormmon's face!"

Ken squinted at it. There were some... shapes and... stuff? "I really don't..." he began to say, but trailed off as he found what had to be the digimon's head. A few moments later he noticed the little cloud-like-antennas, and the-

Ken suddenly snorted and laughed when he recognized the expression on its face.

"Uh..." Daisuke trailed off. "I mean it's kind of funny I guess..."

"No, no..." Ken was smiling now, and he was the one to point up at it this time. "Just look at his eyes, it's that _'oh-Ken-chan-you're-not-being-healthy-again'_ face! The one he gets right before he lectures you!"

Ken started cracking up, and it almost felt like it was against his will to do so. He quickly put his hands over his mouth to try and suppress the giggles. He was starting to get a bit of a headache now...

"That was like, the _perfect_ impression!" Daisuke started laughing as well.

"Yeah, tell me about it..." Ken chuckled as his laughter died down finally, his hands falling back down into his lap. "It's just _Ken-chan do this_ and _Ken-chan do that_ , over and over again, all day long... How could I _not_ know what his voice sounds like? I'm telling you, Motomiya, he's-"

"No," Daisuke cut him off. "It’s Daisuke. Don't call me Motomiya."

Ken frowned at him "But… we’re not friends… Especially after everything that-"

"Lalala, I can't hear you!" Daisuke sang as he put his hands over his ears and closed his eyes. "Blah blah blah, don't care, don't care!"

“Are you seriously doing that?” Ken raised an eyebrow, not used to this kind of behavior at all. He probably should be by now... “You're like a preschooler sometimes.”

"Still can't hear you, still can't hear you!" Daisuke shook his head from side to side in the sand. Ken cringed when Daisuke started singing what he thought was perhaps a folk song after that, but it was hard to tell because his voice was so horrifically off tune.

Ken cringed and covered his ears. “What are you doing?!” he tried to holler over the noise, but it was very obvious that he either hadn’t been heard or was being ignored. In either case, Daisuke only got louder. “Agh!” Ken groaned. “Fine! _Daisuke, Daisuke, Daisuke!_ " Ken closed his eyes and yelled as loud as he could, his headache getting a bit worse. "There, I said it! Now stop!"

"Okay!" Daisuke turned away and smiled, looking back up at the sky. "Oh hey, look at that cloud! Totally a hamburger on a plate!"

"You’re very random..." Ken trailed off but found himself looking up at the sky nonetheless. He was about to suggest that Daisuke see a counselor or something, until his eyes focused more on the cloud in question. He blinked and gaped at what he saw. "Wow… it really does look like a hamburger on a plate..."

"Right?!" Daisuke grinned.

Suddenly Ken found himself grinning as well, though he hadn’t meant to. There was a comfortable silence that settled between them after that, Daisuke smiling happily up at the clouds. Something about the boy’s behavior reminded Ken of a wild tiger - one that had been trapped inside of a small cage for a very long time, and it was finally free. Daisuke was very hyperactive.

All of this was exactly why he'd tried to let him go, but for some reason Daisuke just had to be weird about it. Maybe he was trying to make Ken suffer some more before he left as payment for the Bio Ring? It would make sense, and as hard as it was to admit… he probably deserved it.

"So... Ken," Daisuke said suddenly as he sat up and brushed the sand off the back of his shirt. "I've been meaning to ask you something but there’s never been a good time for it."

Ken felt a bit tense, expecting something serious to come up. "What’s that?"

“Well, aside from the whole Kaiser business,” Daisuke said with a wave of his hand over in the direction of the base. “What kind of stuff do you like?”

Ken blinked at the question. No one had ever asked him that before, so he didn't have an immediate answer ready for it. No one had ever cared about his hobbies or interests, it was always about his grades or his business in the Digital World. Even his parents didn't care what he liked to do. All they were interested in was how much fame they could suck out of him before he died, like the filthy mosquitoes that they were.

Well... there was one person who had cared, but he was gone now...

"I don’t know," Ken answered eventually, trying to push his thoughts of Osamu out of his mind before he got too upset. "There isn’t really anything else."

"Oh come on!" Daisuke rolled his eyes. "There’s gotta be _something_! What did you do in your free time before you found out about the Digital World, then?"

A silence quickly fell between them. The longer it took Ken to find an answer, the more awkward he felt. He tried to think of something that he used to do but nothing came to mind. Judo, soccer, chess... He’d never really cared about any of those things. He supposed he liked soccer a bit, but that was more because of the position of power it gave him. Prior to those activities he'd liked doing... something...

Why couldn't he remember anything before Osamu's death? He could recall spending time with his brother, but even those memories were fuzzy now. And speaking of coming to the Digital World, when had he first come here again? It was… It was when he… When had it been?

Ken frowned.

How old had he been when he’d first met Wormmon? When did he decide to become the Kaiser? How had he even built his base in the first place? It’s not like he’d started out with slaves who would work for him, and he hadn’t known how to make the dark rings until much later. So how could he have possibly done everything by himself? He couldn't actually recall building the base, now that he thought about it. Had it just been there, maybe?

That felt right. The base had simply been ready and waiting for him to occupy. The Kaiser persona, the dark rings, the slaves… Everything had just _been there_ , and his memories prior to his first day as the Kaiser seemed to have been erased or something. The only exception to that were his memories with Osamu. The worst part was that it felt like he could only remember the bad things with his brother, even though he knew they had plenty of good memories too...

"Hello?" Daisuke’s hand was suddenly waving in front of his face and it snapped Ken out of his thoughts. Daisuke frowned and tilted his head to the side a bit. “You okay?”

"I…" Ken blinked and looked around. "S-Sorry! I guess I just can't remember anything."

"Nothing...?" Daisuke laid back down in the sand and frowned. "Like, _nothing_? How did you come to the Digital World? What did you used to play with as a kid? What kind of stuff makes you happy?"

Ken looked down at his hands. "I don’t know any of those answers. I don't remember how or when I came here, I don't know what I used to do when I was little, and I really don't know what makes me happy other than being the Kaiser. I remember all the bad things about my brother, I remember his death, and I remember my parents pressuring me into being famous… That’s pretty much it."

It was strange that he’d been able to bring up Osamu so easily, because normally just hearing his name or thinking about him was too overwhelming. It was even stranger that there was a part of him questioning whether or not being the Kaiser actually made him happy anymore. Had he ever really wanted any of this?

"That..." Daisuke's face suddenly looked very sad. "I'm sorry, Ken...."

"Why?" Ken asked, genuinely confused with that reaction.

Daisuke chewed on his bottom lip and appeared to be looking for the right words. "You don't remember anything happy, do you? It's just all the negative stuff in your life or nothing at all. That's really all you're allowed to remember..."

"... Allowed?" Ken raised an eyebrow.

"I-I mean...!" Daisuke suddenly went wide eyed and coughed. "Nothing! Forget I said anything! Just me being random again, hehe!"

Before Ken could question the suspiciously forced grin on Daisuke's face, the other boy had already jumped up and was running off toward the water. Ken stared after him for a moment before getting up to his feet and brushing the sand off his pants. He walked over to the waterline where Daisuke appeared to be digging around for seashells or something.

Ken just couldn’t seem to get the question about what he used to do before becoming the Kaiser out of his head. It bothered him that he couldn't remember something so simple, and there was no logical reason for him not to know. It was as though the memories had all been erased or something. Had he hit his head and damaged his memory at some point, perhaps?

"Hey, look at this!" Daisuke stood up as Ken reached him and held out his hands. They were covered in muddy sand but right in the center was a very large, flawless seashell. "Digital or not, it's still pretty cool looking!"

Ken found himself smiling at it. For a randomly dug up seashell it was in surprisingly good condition. It also had a nice arrangement of colors. Ken found himself staring at it, memories of an ocean at the tip of his memory. It was dark, and there were shells scattered about. He had something in his hand…

Ken shook his head and pushed the thoughts away. Something about it felt bad... like he really didn’t want to see what it was. Instead he let his mind go back over to his brother. A new image flashed in front of his memory now, one with bubbles and a balcony...

"You thinking about something?" Daisuke asked quietly.

Ken looked up at him, "Yeah. I guess I just thought of something I used to enjoy."

"Oh?!" This really seemed to perk Daisuke up. "What’s that?"

“I think…” Ken looked back down at the shell in Daisuke's hands as he spoke. “I think we used to blow bubbles together.” As he started talking about it, more of the memory came to his mind. “That’s right… He made the soapy water and cut the straws, but only I was able to blow the actual bubbles. He just blew into the straw _so hard_!” Ken laughed and couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “I mean, what did he expect was going to happen? Anyway…” He frowned down at the shell and shook his head a bit. “It's just stupid kid stuff.”

"That's not stupid at all!" Daisuke's voice was very passionate for some reason. "Don't say it's stupid so easily like that! I think it's really cool that you did that with your brother as a kid. Don't ever let yourself forget about it, okay?"

It really seemed like there was something Daisuke wasn't telling him, but Ken had no idea what it could be. He also knew that pestering him about it wouldn't accomplish anything if he'd decided to be stubborn about not saying anything. Ken would have better luck trying to trick him into spilling something on accident than getting him to fess up to it willingly.

"Sure..." Ken finally answered.

"You can keep the shell if you want!" Daisuke smiled, and Ken found himself smiling a bit too. The way Daisuke used his wrapped-up hand to lift Ken's palm, and then place the shell into it with his other hand... It was a sweet gesture. The shell was just made of data, and on top of that it was dirty and possibly had a dead snail in it or something... And yet Ken still found himself crouching down and letting the ocean water rinse it off. He put it gently inside his pocket afterward.

As soon as he stood back an image flashed through his mind, making him cringe. He was holding something in that same hand and letting it lower down into the ocean water. It twisted and contorted, until it was black and-

"Come on!" Daisuke suddenly laughed and grabbed Ken’s wrist with his good hand, pulling him into the water and shattering the memory before it could grow further. Ken tried to pull away, but he hadn’t been fast enough to escape.

The ocean water was freezing cold. He hadn't intended to get wet so it wasn't like he was wearing the right clothing for this. His school uniform pants were now drenched around the ankles and the water was soaking upward.

"Daisuke!" Ken gasped as a wave of ocean water hit his knees this time. "I didn't want to get wet!"

“Yeah, well,” Daisuke turned around and smirked, still holding onto his wrist. “You have to do whatever I say!” He tugged harder and Ken didn't put up a fight anymore, having been reminded of why he was here. He really shouldn't be whining about getting a little wet...

Ken felt a sudden shiver run up his spine, but it wasn't from the cold water. This ocean was awful and he needed to get away from it somehow. He hated places like this... Why had he agreed to come here? He should have insisted they go somewhere else. The waves seemed to draw closer and closer to him, threatening to pull him down beneath.

When it started getting hard to breathe, Ken pulled his arm away and quickly went back to the dry shore. He stayed close enough to still see Daisuke, who seemed fine with just messing around by himself now. Had he noticed Ken’s strange panic attack perhaps?

Ken shivered again as he sat back down in the sand. Something still wasn't right... For some reason this ocean had him horribly on edge. Why couldn't he remember anything? This happened so often… Maybe he should ask Wormmon about it. He probably wouldn't know anything either, but Ken supposed it couldn't hurt to try. It was better than wondering forever and possibly never finding any answers.

"You okay?" Daisuke's voice snapped Ken out of his thoughts, and he realized that it was already starting to get late. How long had he been just sitting there, thinking about all of this stuff? "You know, I..." Daisuke trailed off. "Actually, never mind."

"What?" Ken asked, confused by Daisuke’s tone of voice as the other boy sat down beside him again. He sounded very serious, which wasn’t something that Ken was used to hearing. "What is it?"

"You probably won't care..." Daisuke trailed off, his voice turning a bit sad now.

"Since when are you too shy to say something?" Ken chuckled.

"It's not that, I just..." Daisuke sighed and looked back out into the water. He was quiet for a while, tapping his fingers against his leg in contemplation. "You know what I _really_ want, Ken?" Daisuke looked straight into his eyes. "If you're feeling angry and you want to hurt others, just fight it, okay? Maybe even try telling me about it so I can cheer you up or something."

Tears tugged at Ken's eyes, but he didn't let them fall. What was he getting so emotional for? He had no idea what was going on. Something about Daisuke’s words had really hit home for him though...

"Look, let’s just start over!" Daisuke was suddenly excited. "Forget all this Kaiser stuff! It’s not too late, just let the slaves go and then come back to the real world with me. We could even be friends! I know the others will come around eventually if I just explain-"

"That's impossible," Ken cut him off forcefully. "All I can be in the real world is a celebrity. I can’t have friends there, and it's too late for the other Chosen to forgive me anyway. I've done too much to ever be your friend or theirs, so I know you don't really mean it when you say that you want that."

Daisuke groaned, "You don’t know that! Don’t just decide that on your own! And it's not too late if you let _us_ decide how we feel about it. I _want_ to be your friend, so don't just say that I don’t! You need to stop listening to those stupid voices in your head."

"Why?!" Ken snapped suddenly. “Why would you want anything to do with me now?!”

“Because this isn't your fault!” Daisuke snapped back. “I'm not just gonna let that thing ruin your life!”

“What thing?” Ken’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know that you aren’t telling me?”

Daisuke fell silent, and his expression turned fearful. He looked away after a moment or two, clearly not intending to answer the question.

"Daisuke, I’m _still_ the Kaiser." Ken looked away as well, not really wanting to have to be this blunt but it was obviously necessary or Daisuke would never understand. “Just because I realized that I went too far with the Bio Ring doesn’t mean I’m giving up on taking over the Digital World. So talking about going back to the real world and being friends with you… It’s not appropriate, and it’s not possible.”

It was dark now, and in the corner of his eye Ken could see the ocean waves glistening in the moonlight. It was terrible... He didn't like it at all. It put goose bumps all over his skin and made him feel cold when it was actually quite warm outside.

"Now let's go," Ken said and his voice came out shakier than he'd intended it to. Something about telling Daisuke he was still the Kaiser… It had unsettled him almost as much as the ocean at night. He hadn't intended to stay here this long. Damn it, he hadn’t been paying enough attention to the time.

"Go?" Daisuke looked back up at him. "Are we already… Ken...?" He trailed off in the middle of his own sentence and suddenly looked worried.

_Ken stared at the dark ocean water, the hair on the back of his neck standing on edge. A strong, cold wind whipped his hair from side to side. This place... it felt wrong somehow. It was as though the very air itself had an evil nature to it. Everything was a shade of gray - the water, sand, clouds, plants... even himself. What kind of a place was this?_

_"Where am I...?" Ken trailed off quietly to himself, his voice practically a whisper. As if in answer to his question something tugged at his mind, urging him to get closer to the water. There was a part of him that tried to resist, but the urge to get just a bit closer was much, much stronger._

_His feet moved on their own, and before he knew it he could feel the icy cold liquid seeping into his shoes and up the legs of his pants. There were goose bumps on his arms as they moved down toward the ocean water, his digivice clutched tightly in his hand. Ken watched as the device suddenly changed shape. It had been white just a moment ago, but now it was pitch black and much larger. He pulled it out of the water and looked at it._

_"That's right, this..." he said as he pulled it in even closer, clutching it tightly with fingers. "This is my Digivice. Not anyone else's..."_

_His lips twisted into a smirk as thoughts of Osamu came to his mind. That fool had slapped him while claiming that this was his? No... That insect was wrong... "It's just mine."_

"Ken!"

Suddenly his body jerked as he was roughly shaken, and the grip he had on his own hair loosened. Ken opened his eyes and was confused to find Daisuke crouched down beside him by the water, looking very startled. He was holding Ken tightly by the shoulders.

It was then that Ken realized how hard it was to breathe. He was panting on his knees and his heart was racing in his chest. There were tears running down his cheeks, but he couldn’t remember crying.

"I..." Ken trailed off and let his arms fall to his stomach. He tried to take deep breaths and calm himself down, but there was a tight fear gripping at him still.

"Ken..." Daisuke sounded very concerned. "What did you just see? You were shrieking for help and crying…"

Ken had no idea what to say. "I... I saw..." he started, but stopped when he realized that he couldn’t actually remember what he’d seen anymore. The images had been so vivid just a few seconds ago, but they were already almost completely faded away!

“There was a dark ocean…” Ken tried to force himself to remember before it was gone completely. “I had a digivice I think, and then it became bigger and… and black? I don't…” Ken clenched his eyes shut and balled up his fists in frustration. “I don’t remember now!"

"A Digivice?" Daisuke asked hopefully, probably trying to help jar Ken’s memory a bit. "Did you have an older one, like the other Chosen? You said it changed shape?"

Ken tried as hard as he could to bring the memory back, but it seemed like the more he thought about it, the more it disappeared. “It’s gone…” Ken covered his face with his hands and started to hyperventilate again. “It’s gone! I-I can't see… I can’t see any of it now!”

"Woah, calm down!" Daisuke hooked one of Ken’s arms around his shoulder and pulled him back up to his feet. “It’s okay… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought this stuff up. I just wanted to help, but... Let’s just go back now, alright?”

Ken didn’t resist at all as he was lead back toward the Airdramon. However, in the back of his mind he made a silent decision. If Daisuke knew something about his condition and wasn’t going to tell him about it willingly, then Ken would have to figure it out on his own. Deep down something was warning him that he wasn’t ready to find the answer, but Ken ignored it. It didn't matter what happened - he needed to find the truth before he forgot that he wanted to find it at all.


	14. Shadows in the Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm
> 
> Author's Note: Tamagoyaki is rolled up egg, Nori is dried seaweed, and Tsukemono is a kind of pickle

Daisuke yawned and stretched, untangling the blanket from around his legs. He pulled it back up over his body and nuzzled into it with a peaceful sigh. His bed was so comfortable… It was _much_ nicer than the one he had at home.

Cracking his eyes open for just a split second, he realized that it was around ten in the morning. That was _way_ too early for anyone to get up on their eighteenth birthday, so he closed his eyes again and snuggled back into the pillows. He wasn’t actually tired, but that definitely wasn’t the point here.

After a couple more minutes, his laziness was greatly reduced by the amazing smell that had floated over to him. He opened his eyes and looked around, but he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary at first. Was it coming from out in the hallway?

His question was answered when he finally sat all the way up. On the bedside table where his back had been turned were two large silver plates with dome lids to keep the heat inside, and in front of them was a birthday gift wrapped in fancy blue and white paper.

Daisuke blinked and stared down at the sight before him. He slowly reached over and picked up one of the dome lids. Steam billowed out from beneath it, and the aroma made his stomach growl immediately. His eyes widened when he saw the food that had been prepared for him - steamed rice, miso soup, tamagoyaki, nori, broiled fish and tsukemono - his favorite breakfast.

Daisuke put the lid back over the food to keep it all warm and then lifted up the lid on the second tray. Beneath it was… chocolate cake?!

The wrapped present was starting to look extremely inviting now, so Daisuke put the lid back down over the cake and picked up the wrapped box. It wasn't heavy, but it definitely had something inside. Now that it wasn’t on the table he noticed the folded up note that had been placed beneath it.

Daisuke set the gift down on the bed and opened up the letter.

_"Daisuke,_

_I’m not sure how well I expressed myself before. Just in case I did a poor job of it, I wanted to let you know that I’m sorry you're spending your eighteenth birthday here. I know that deep down you'd rather be with your friends and family today, so I tried to at least make it feel different from the regular day-to-day life in the base. Let me know if you’d like to go somewhere, though I’d prefer it if we avoided the ocean for personal reasons._

_I still wish you'd just leave and go home, and for what it’s worth my offer to release you still stands. Not that I really expect you to listen, but I wanted to try again anyway._

_I made all of the food myself, including the cake. I hope everything turns out alright. If not though, just let me know and I can try to get something from outside the base. I know how awful the replicator food is. I'm sure you'll like the gift I made for you though, at the very least._

_Anyway... Happy birthday I guess._

_-Ken"_

Daisuke smiled as he put the letter back down on the table. Wow… Ken had really made all of this by himself? He must have stayed up all night!

He reached back over and picked up the gift again, quickly realizing that it was actually just a nicely printed box. He could simply lift the lid off and open it, so that’s what he did. As soon as he looked inside and saw what Ken had made for him though, he gasped and his eyes widened.

Ken had fixed his goggles.

Daisuke stared down at his prized possession. The lenses were no longer broken, the chipped paint had been re-done, the frayed and over-stretched elastic band had been replaced, and the dents were all smoothed out. If he didn’t know better, he might have thought they were brand new!

Lying directly beneath the newly fixed goggles were a few silly comedy movies, one of which he’d already seen before and loved to death. It was his and Jun’s favorite, so they’d seen it many times together.

Daisuke leapt out of bed and ran over to the dresser where he could put the goggles on in front of the mirror. Tears of happiness tugged at his eyes as soon as he saw them back on his head where they belonged, and in flawless condition. He couldn't get rid of the smile on his face. They fit perfectly, and all of the colors were right too!

Daisuke wasn’t entirely sure what to do. He probably should have started eating his food before it got cold, but he _really_ wanted to go and say thanks for all of this. Ken… He really was a good person at heart, wasn’t he? Daisuke had always felt that way deep down, but after the Bio Ring he’d lost his confidence in that theory.

Daisuke put the movies back inside the gift-box and then quickly headed for the control room where he figured Ken would be working.

********************

The Kaiser waited patiently for his computer to finish uploading all of the requested data. He’d decided to do a full scan of the base and have it all forwarded to his control room after his experience at the beach. He was paranoid and he wanted to know what was going on, so while his computer was sifting through all of the security footage since Daisuke had first arrived, Ken had gone to the medical room to get X-Rayed and examined. The results were nearly all transferred over to him now.

Because he knew he would be getting exams done, he hadn’t bothered to put on his Kaiser uniform yet. It was easier to roll up the sleeves on his school shirt, so he’d just settled for that. He’d deal with changing his appearing later. Well… maybe he would. For some reason he found himself caring about it a lot less these days.

As Ken continued to watch the feeds, he found himself laughing at Daisuke’s shenanigans for what must have been the hundredth time now. He’d never fully examined _all_ of the footage before, just bits and pieces as was necessary. Seeing everything that his prisoner had done and gotten away with was surprisingly intriguing.

Well… except for the awkwardly physical incidents that had occurred between them a couple of times now... He hated to admit it, but Daisuke’s claims that Ken had enjoyed it seemed a lot more legitimate from the viewpoint of his security cameras.

Ken groaned and shook his head. Back to his investigation… So far he hadn’t really found anything in the security videos. Part of him had hoped the X-Rays would indicate something, while another part of him didn’t. Finding out that he had cancer or something was _not_ what he’d been going for.

The computer beeped and a new image came up. The left half of the screen contained the images from the X-Ray results, while the right had all of the written information typed out for him to read. Excellent! Now he could-

_Drip._

Ken frowned and turned around in his chair. Was there a leak in the ceiling or something? Considering just how much armor there was around his base, he seriously doubted that. It was far more likely to have been from the sprinklers.

 _Drip, drip_.

With a sigh, Ken opened a drawer nearby and pulled out a small flashlight. He really didn’t want to get all the way up and turn on the lights when this would be much faster, so he shined the light all around the room. Sure enough, there was a puddle of water right in the very center of the floor.

He stood up, and as he began walking toward the puddle he could hear the sounds of splashing water near his ankles. It was as though he was walking through a shallow pool or something, but as he pointed the flashlight down at his legs he found the floor to be completely dry.

Ken took a few more steps forward, but this time there were no splashing sounds. He stood still for a moment or two, and when he shined the light back over to the center of the room where the puddle had been, he was very confused to find that the floor was totally dry over there as well.

He felt goose bumps rising on his arms. Why was he getting nervous? He was probably just sleep deprived. It certainly wouldn't be the first time, and it wasn't like his control room was haunted by an evil puddle spirit or something. Ken chuckled and shook his head at the very thought of something so ridiculous. An icy chill ran up his spin when his own chuckle didn’t stop with him though. He’d already closed his mouth, and yet he could still hear the laughter ringing in the room.

"Who's there?!" Ken demanded as he clutched the flashlight tightly in his hand. As soon as there was movement in the far corner of the room, Ken felt his body freeze up. Something was in there with him! He needed to turn the lights on, _now_!

It was hard to get his legs to budge, but with enough effort he managed to start making his way toward the door. He kept the flashlight pointed straight ahead and his eye glued to the spot in the darkness where he’d seen the movement. As soon as he’d made it about halfway to the light switch, a large, dark form leapt through the ray of light and out of sight.

Ken couldn't get himself to move anymore. His hands were shaking as he flashed the light wildly around the room. His blood ran cold and he was starting to sweat. Where was it?! Where was the creature?!

The laughter was back, and this time it was much closer than before. Ken held his breath as he quickly backed away from-

"Ken!" Daisuke's voice echoed into the room as the doors burst open and light flooded inside. Ken dropped the flashlight onto the floor and spun around, trying to find the creature that had been hiding in there with him. However, he found nothing but himself and his monitors.

"Ken...?" Daisuke’s voice was much quieter this time. "You okay…?"

“I…” Ken was finally able to get air into his lungs. “I don’t know…” He took a deep breath and released it slowly. Alright… Alright. There was _nothing_ in the room. He was just seeing things because of how tired he was. This was what he got for not sleeping enough.

Daisuke seemed genuinely worried as he shut the door and walked inside, having flipped on the lights along the way. He looked around the control room a bit, seeming to try and evaluate what might have freaked Ken out so badly.

"It’s nothing, don’t worry about it," Ken reached down and picked the flashlight up off the floor. "I just need to sleep more I guess. I think I’m starting to see things..."

“Oh…” Daisuke trailed off awkwardly.

At first Ken wasn’t sure why Daisuke randomly seemed guilty, until he noticed the goggles on his head. “Oh! No, no,” Ken shook his head. “I wasn’t tired because of your birthday stuff. I finished all of that pretty early. I Just…” He glanced over at his control panels and sighed again. “I guess I lost track of time watching security videos.”

Daisuke smiled cheerfully, seeming to forget all about their previous exchange. "I can’t believe you fixed them! Thank you so much!" Suddenly Daisuke reached out and hugged Ken before he was ready for it. Ken stumbled backward and nearly fell over.

"Y-You're welcome…?" Ken trailed off awkwardly and tried to hug him back, though it didn’t come out as much more than a pat on the back. He wasn’t used to this kind of stuff. He really didn’t know if he was doing it right. Osamu was the only one who had ever really hugged him, and that was so long ago now he couldn't really remember it.

"Seriously, you don't know how much this means to me!" Daisuke pulled away.

“I think I have a good idea,” Ken chuckled softly. Wow… Daisuke had liked his gift a lot more than he'd expected. At least he’d finally done _something_ right… “The paint was already chipped, so I just removed it all and heated up the metal. That way I could smooth out the dents. Once it cooled off I repainted it the same color, and I replaced the lenses. I noticed the elastic band was fraying too, so I got a new one for it. That’s all I really did.”

“Hey, that's a lot more than I could have done!” Daisuke laughed. “It probably would have looked like road kill if I'd tried to fix it! You know… a bunch of off-white patches of paint, _more_ dents than before, no lenses at all, a duct taped band instead of elastic…” Daisuke smirked. “You get the picture.”

Ken laughed at the image that had been put in his head. Something about Daisuke's happiness was infectious and he was finally starting to relax after that strange panic attack.

“You even made me breakfast _and_ a cake! And you got the DVDs I like!” Daisuke nudged Ken’s shoulder lightly with his elbow. “You actually listened to me the other day!”

"I did my best," Ken was still smiling, and he was feeling strangely comfortable. "I'm glad you like it so much. I was afraid I might have gotten the wrong movie or something."

"Nope!” Daisuke shook his head. “You were spot on!”

“That's good,” Ken said, and an unusually comfortable silence settled between them after that.

Their eyes lingered a bit and didn’t move away. Ken realized that they were staring and felt a blush creep up his cheeks. He immediately averted his gaze, but in the corner of his eye he could tell that Daisuke had yet to look elsewhere.

Ken cleared his throat quietly and fidgeted with his fingers. When he looked back up after another moment or two, he found that Daisuke was still staring into his eyes. However, his expression had changed. Instead of smiling like before, he was now frowning with concentration for some reason. What was he doing?

"Yes...?" Ken trailed off, wondering if maybe he had something on his face.

“S-Sorry!” Daisuke stammered and shook his head. “I uh…” Daisuke was blushing now too. “I just noticed that your eyes weren't the same color and it threw me off...”

"Really?" Ken frowned and looked over at a blank monitor screen. His reflection stared back and he focused on his eyes. Sure enough, they seemed a bit softer in color than they normally did. It was a bit hard to tell on such a dark screen, but he’d stared at his monitors enough by now to know the way his reflection normally looked.

"They suit you better." Daisuke leaned over to look at his face again and smiled. "Normally they’re this like, _intense_ blue color. But they’re kinda… purple now? It’s nice on you."

"Ah..." Ken looked away and backed up again, not sure how to respond to all of these compliments. He really wasn't used to it at all! Even with all of his fake, adoring fans, something about this was different. Maybe it was just that he actually cared about what Daisuke thought.

"A-Anyway..." Daisuke trailed off, seeming to realize that he was making Ken uncomfortable. "I wanted to ask if you'd come have breakfast and cake in my room with me? We can watch movies too! That’s gotta be more enjoyable than being stuck up in here all day, right? You seem pretty stressed out, so you should take a break!"

Ken frowned. He'd planned on doing the exact _opposite_ of that over the next many hours. He’d just assumed that leaving Daisuke alone would make him the happiest out of anything else he could have done. If Daisuke had wanted to go somewhere though, then he supposed he would have stopped for that. In a sense this was kind of like that, wasn’t it?

"It's your birthday, so..." Ken let his confusion come out in his voice. Maybe he just needed to always do the opposite of what he thought Daisuke would want. "I guess if having me in your room is _really_ what you want, then I will… But I figured you'd rather be alone."

"Being alone sucks!" Daisuke groaned and Ken immediately felt guilty. Why couldn’t Daisuke have just left the base like he’d offered? He wouldn’t be alone anymore if he had...

"Hey!" Daisuke's voice cut off Ken's train of thought. "Don't start that! Don't get all sad!" Daisuke suddenly grabbed him by the wrist. "Or I'll get sad too, and that's not allowed on my birthday!" And with that, he began pulling Ken out of the room and down the hall.

********************

Daisuke’s stomach rumbled as soon as they entered his bedroom. After pulling Ken inside, he shut the door and then opened up the still-steaming tray of food. They’d both grabbed a fork and spoon from the kitchen on their way over, so they could eat in there if they wanted.

As Daisuke pondered how to split up the food, Ken stood awkwardly beside him. He was looking around the room as though he was searching for ideas on what he should do. Daisuke had already figured that Ken wasn’t exactly practiced in the socializing department, but man...

"You can sit down if you want," Daisuke motioned over to his bed and tried not to laugh at how unsure and nervous Ken seemed to feel. In the end he did at least sit down on the side of the mattress as offered, but even that was very uncomfortable and stiff.

“What do you want to eat?” Daisuke asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't care."

"Alright," Daisuke chuckled at Ken’s indifference. Jeez… As nice as it was to see Ken acting humble for once, it was also kind of unnerving. Normally Ken would just demand anything he wanted and get angry at anyone who said no. In some ways Daisuke liked that, but in a lot more ways he didn’t, so he ultimately found himself smiling at the other boy’s nicer attitude.

Daisuke finally gave up on making decisions and just set the entire tray down in the middle of the bed. He walked around to the other side of the mattress and sat down, crossing his legs to get comfortable. Sharing the meal would be easier, so he took all of the tsukemono out of the bowl they were in and set them down on the tray itself, handing the now-empty bowl over to Ken for him to use.

They dished up and began eating in silence, though the pace they went at was very different. Daisuke would have to slow down or else he'd eat everything before Ken had even finished his first piece of fish! At least he was eating at all though, even if it was _way_ too slow.

Ken still didn’t say anything. Maybe he’d finally overpowered the spore and wouldn't become the Kaiser ever again? If that were the case, then the whole energy-draining-death outcome wouldn’t happen, right? And then he could take Ken back to the real world with him! He was probably getting ahead of himself, but he couldn't help it.

A huge part of him regretted kicking V-Mon out of the base, but he knew it had been the right thing to do. V-Mon didn’t understand the situation and Daisuke hadn’t had the time to explain it all to him. Plus he couldn’t allow his partner to get hurt anymore. There was no way to know for sure if Ken would snap back into the Kaiser persona or not, so at least it was only Daisuke who was in danger now. He couldn’t bear to see his partner wearing a dark ring again...

"Hey, Ken?" Daisuke asked after a moment. "Do you know where V-Mon is?"

"I know that Wormmon let him go," Ken answered quietly, though he frowned right after. "Well... I guess I don't _know_ that he did, but when I questioned him about it his antennas started twitching like they do whenever he's nervous or lying. I saw V-Mon escape into an area that I’m not controlling currently, so I don’t know where he is now. I don’t have any cameras where he went."

"You watched him...?" Daisuke asked, his eyes widening.

“Uh…” Ken trailed off awkwardly, seeming to feel like maybe he’d made a mistake or something. “Well I know my slaves would have recognized him, so... so I was just checking to see if he got away unnoticed. I just did it because… you know...”

"You don't need to justify an act of kindness, silly," Daisuke smiled and felt very relieved. "Thanks for checking on him!"

"Yeah..." Ken seemed to feel embarrassed now, which Daisuke really didn’t know what to make of. Maybe he just wasn’t using to being kind to others anymore, so it didn’t feel natural to him? Surely he'd been nice as a young kid before the spore though, so there had to be some deeper part of Ken that was coming out now.

The silence was fairly comfortable while they ate, the food disappearing a lot more slowly than Daisuke would have liked. He wanted Ken to be able to keep up with him though, so he made sure not to overeat. Ken didn’t seem to get enough food most days.

"Have you tried your cake yet?" Ken asked.

"Oh!" Daisuke gathered all of the dishes up onto the tray and leaned over Ken’s lap so that he could reach and put it back on the bedside table. He grabbed the cake tray and sat back down, though he immediately noticed the way Ken seemed to have stiffened up at their close contact. He hadn’t really been paying attention…

For a moment Daisuke considered apologizing for getting in Ken’s personal space like that, but in the end he decided to just stay quiet. He really wasn’t sorry about it anyway, not with how nice Ken smelled… Did he use cologne, or was that maybe his shampoo?

Not that any of that _mattered_ or anything...

Daisuke picked up the single match sitting beside the cake, as Ken no longer allowed him to have matchbooks or lighters in his room, and lit all eighteen of his candles.

 _'I wish...'_ He began thinking to himself, deciding that if there was ever a good time to try making a birthday wish, it was today. Even if it was just silly superstition, why not try? _'I wish... to get rid of that spore and for Ken to join us someday.'_

Daisuke blew out the candles and smiled. He missed his friends, but the more time he spent with Ken the more he realized that he really was a Chosen just like the rest of them were. Ken belonged with them, even if he had a lot of work to do in order to make up for everything he’d done as the Kaiser. Daisuke hadn’t forgiven him entirely yet, but he wanted to give him the chance.

And hey, not being left alone in his room on his birthday had been a good step toward that!

“Alright!” Daisuke cut out a piece of cake with the provided knife and put it on the small, unused plate beside it. Then he ran over to the television to put one of the DVDs in, choosing the one he’d already seen a ton of times with his sister for old time’s sake. As soon as it slid into the DVD player, he made his way back over to the bed.

After Daisuke clicked _play_ on the remote, he rested his back against the headrest and Ken did the same thing beside him. It was quiet as the movie started, and after a few moments Daisuke got the feeling that this might not be Ken's kind of humor.

Daisuke idly tried a bite of his cake as he watched the screen. Immediately his eyes widened and he made a blissful sigh of approval. The cake was amazing! Ken was _totally_ making this for him on his birthday from now on!

Well, no… They were enemies still... And yet they also weren't. It was weird how quickly he was starting to see Ken differently. He’d always gotten over things faster than most others, but even he had expected to need more time than this. There was just something about Ken that he felt like he could understand in a strange, unspoken way. He’d felt that way ever since he touched that strange power core in the generator room.

Daisuke moved his attention back over to the movie and he laughed at one of his favorite jokes. Ken even smiled a bit, which Daisuke took as a victory.

“You gonna try it?” Daisuke motioned over to the rest of the cake when he realized that Ken still hadn’t tried any of it.

Ken shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I don’t really want any.”

“What?!” Daisuke gasped. “But it’s good! You did a really great job!”

“But it’s for you,” Ken said with a frown. “I don’t want to spoil it.”

“Spoil it?” Daisuke frowned, not really understanding what Ken was talking about. He cut off a small square of cake from his larger piece and picked it up with his fork, holding it out in front of Ken’s face. “Here, at least try it!”

Ken blinked and stared at the offered bite of cake. He eyed Daisuke’s fork a moment later, as though he was thinking about maybe taking it out of his hand so that he could eat it himself. He even reached a hand out to do so, but he quickly seemed to realize that the utensil hadn’t punctured through the cake piece very well. It was barely sitting on the end of the fork as it was, and grabbing it would just cause it to roll off.

Daisuke realized what he’d accidentally done the moment Ken opened his mouth and ate the cake off the end of his fork. Immediately a deep blush broke out on both of their faces, Ken quickly pulling away and leaning back up against the headrest. Daisuke coughed awkwardly and set his utensil back down on the plate. He really hadn’t thought that one through at all…

Daisuke made a point of focusing on the movie again, though it was difficult to pay attention to it. His mind was too busy connecting the dots on his fork having been in Ken’s mouth, which was almost like kissing him if he used it again, and they’d already made out twice before, and…

Yeah, he just needed to stop thinking now.

“It was, uh…” Ken spoke nervously. “It was good… I guess I did a better job than I expected.”

“Y-Yeah,” Daisuke nodded. Jeez, why was his heart racing now? He needed to get himself together!

Daisuke forced himself to watch the movie, and after a while he was able to get back into it like nothing weird had ever happened. It was amazing how he’d seen the movie so many times already, and yet he still found it just as funny as the very first time he’d ever watched it. Soon enough he was laughing just as much as he did every year.

"Wow, I forgot how stupid that guy was!" Daisuke laughed and shook his head. “He’s always-!” he started to explain, but was cut off when Ken suddenly leaned against his shoulder. Daisuke tensed up and looked down to find that Ken’s eyes were closed, and his body looked very relaxed. Had he just fallen asleep?

Daisuke wasn’t entirely sure what he should do. He definitely didn’t want to wake him back up, and it wasn’t like he hated the contact or anything. In fact, he kind of liked it… Ken was soft and warm, and it was far too easy for Daisuke to just rest the side of his cheek against the top of Ken’s head.

As the movie continued, he found it difficult to laugh again. What was he doing? He’d understood his own desire to have Ken spend time with him in his room, but feeding him cake and resting on him… He really didn’t know what he wanted anymore.

Ken sighed softly and turned toward Daisuke, pulling his knees up over his lap and nuzzling his head further into the crook of Daisuke’s neck. Ken’s sleepy arms wrapped around his waist after that, and he seemed to sleep more soundly.

Daisuke’s breath hitched and he made a surprised squeak for a second. He _really_ had no idea what to do now! Would Ken be angry to find them like that when he woke back up? It’s not like it would be anyone’s fault but his own, but Daisuke could never be too certain about what would set off the Kaiser. Besides, once he was in that mindset it wasn’t like he’d believe anything Daisuke had to say.

As gently as he could, Daisuke scooted Ken down so that he was laying on his side against him, with his head resting on Daisuke's stomach instead of his shoulder. He didn’t want to move him too much at once, so he decided to wait a moment to scooch him any further. However, Ken took that moment to drape his arm across Daisuke's body and hug him in his sleep. Ken let their legs tangle up together.

Dang it! Somehow they’d ended up cuddling even more now! Not that he hated it or anything… If he was being honest with himself, he actually really liked it. Ken's body was so warm and it made him feel a lot cozier in the bed. He really hoped that Ken’s lack of sleep was just from how hard he’d worked the previous night, and not because the spore had-

No, he didn't want to think about that nasty thing.

Daisuke tried to watch the movie, but his eyes kept traveling down. Ken seemed so peaceful like that. His face was totally free of stress or worry, and it left such a nice expression on his face. His hair was so smooth, too...

Daisuke let his fingers play in the silky strands with no real goal in mind, his fingertips tracing circles around Ken’s head. As he pulled his hands away a moment or two later, he was met with a sigh of disappointment. Daisuke smiled and laughed softly at the sound, returning his hands back to where they had been.

"Mm..." Ken cuddled up against him more. "Dai..."

Daisuke’s eyes widened as soon as he heard his name spoken that way. This was… Okay seriously, what were they doing? He really should stop, but…

Daisuke found himself moving one of his hands down to Ken’s back so that he could rub it at the same time as his head. Ken shuddered and nuzzled into him further, and Daisuke felt a warmth spread all over his body as another sleepy sigh escaped Ken’s throat.

Without really thinking about it, Daisuke let the hand that was in Ken’s hair trail down to his face. His fingertips gently touched Ken’s skin, which felt like silk beneath his fingertips. It would be so easy to kiss him like this. He could just cup his cheek, let Ken’s hair tangle up in his fingers again and then lean down just a little bit, and...

Daisuke pulled his hands away and forced his eyes back up to the television screen. His cheeks were on fire as he took in deep breaths to try and calm his racing heart. Just to make matters worse he was starting to get a bit… excited. Seriously, what if Ken woke up and caught him like that?! _Nothing_ more awkward could possibly happen! He needed to stop thinking about anything else before he did something stupid!

 _'Am I gay?'_ Daisuke wanted to slap himself, but now that he'd thought about it he couldn't seem to make the question leave his mind. He definitely liked girls, so he couldn't really be gay. However, the feelings he was starting to have for Ken were most certainly _not_ straight. Even _less_ straight were the two times they’d made out with each other already! So bisexual, then? Had he been bi all this time and just not realized it? He’d never liked another boy before this, though...

Maybe he was just tired. Trying to help Ken shut off the spore was probably stressing him out. He was probably just confused and so his mind was going off in weird directions, or... or…

Or maybe he was just making up excuses because he was too afraid to admit that he was bisexual. To his dismay that possibility felt a _lot_ more accurate.

Daisuke frowned and tried to just watch the movie for now. He didn’t need to figure something that complicated out in one night, and anyway it was his birthday! He should be relaxing. He could think about it over time and figure it out naturally. With that decision in mind, he put his hands back in Ken’s hair to encourage him to keep sleeping. It was definitely _not_ just an excuse to keep touching!

As the movie neared the end, Daisuke found it hard to focus. He felt so relaxed and his eyes were struggling to stay open. Ken was just so warm…

Soon enough he felt himself relax and slide down onto the mattress some more, his head now on his pillow. He pulled his blanket up so that it was around him and Ken, who were both lying side-by-side. Daisuke idly realized that he was probably going to fall asleep like this, but did it really matter? It was getting close to one o’clock in the afternoon, but he hadn’t exactly gone to bed early the previous night either. He and Ken had both gotten a lot less rest than they should have, so they could probably benefit from taking a nap, right? But what if Ken woke up before him?

Eh… He’d worry about it later.

Daisuke adjusted himself so that Ken’s head was back in the crook of his neck where it belonged, nuzzling his face into his hair. Ken smelled so good… It just wasn’t fair.

The last thing he was aware of before falling asleep was letting his arm rest over Ken’s slim waist.

********************

Warmth and comfort were the first things Ken became aware of. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this good waking up. Even after a full night’s rest he always felt like he hadn’t slept at all. At that point he would either have to spend all day sleeping just to feel well, and then he’d have no time to get anything done, or he’d have to work while tired. This was a nice change of pace.

After opening his eyes, Ken realized that he wasn’t where he expected to be. This was definitely Daisuke’s room, and he was _definitely_ in Daisuke’s bed with him. Not just that, but Ken’s head was lying on his shoulder with one of his arms wrapped around his neck, and his knee bent and draped over his lap. Daisuke had his own arms wrapped tightly around Ken’s hips and his face was nuzzled into his hair... How had this happened?!

His heart was beating frantically as he pulled away from the other boy, doing his best not to wake him up in the process. After a lot of effort, Ken finally managed to separate from Daisuke’s embrace and swung his feet over the side of the bed. Almost immediately after that, Daisuke buried his face into one of his pillows and hugged it close with a soft whine.

Ken blushed at the realization that Daisuke was substituting him with the pillow. He didn’t want the sudden lack of body heat to wake him up though, so he quickly tucked the blanket around him.

Ken glanced around the room from the bedside until he found a clock. Late afternoon… He’d really been asleep for over three hours? How much of that time had Daisuke been sleeping too? Had he accidentally fallen asleep next to Ken, or had it been on purpose? And what about the cuddling…?

With his heart still racing in his chest, Ken gently stood up and tiptoed over to the bedroom door. He pulled it open as quietly as he could, and closed it just as gently on his way out. As soon as he was in the hallway outside he released a large sigh of relief.

If he was lucky, Daisuke would never have to know they’d cuddled together in their sleep like that. They could just forget all about it, and have no more concerns over the matter. Besides, now that he was more awake, he could finally get some work done.

Ken headed for the control room. He still had many security videos to watch, and he’d never even gotten around to looking over those X-Ray results. He should head back and check them-

Ken stumbled as exhaustion struck his body, his head smacking against the nearby wall. He quickly grabbed onto it for support so that he didn’t fall down, but his legs were growing weak. After pressing his back up against the wall, he slid down to the floor.

What was going on? He'd been wide awake just a second ago!

Ken’s blood ran cold as the sound of waves filled the hallway and everything around him turned gray. There was no water anywhere to account for that sound though, or for the sudden change of color. He’d hoped the strange noise might stop but it only got louder.

‘ _Calm down, calm down!_ ’ Ken tried to take deep breaths. Maybe it was just a nightmare? His head sure hurt after colliding with the wall, so that seemed unlikely… Maybe he was hallucinating? But he’d just slept so much, why would he start seeing things again? Was someone playing more tricks on him, maybe? He really didn’t see how that could be the case though, since V-Mon had left the base and Daisuke was still asleep...

Suddenly something moved from further down the hallway, and Ken held his breath. He stared straight at the spot where he’d seen it. There didn’t seem to be anything there, but it was hard to tell with how much darker everything had become all of a sudden.

There was a whisper from somewhere nearby that was almost too quiet to hear over the sound of the waves. It started to get louder though, until he could almost decipher the words. Something about the voice sounded sinister and it sent a shiver up his body. Ken wrapped his arms around himself, holding onto his elbows as goose bumps appeared all over his skin.

When something moved right beside him, Ken gasped and tried to scream but he couldn’t get any sound out of his throat. It vanished almost as soon as he’d seen it, but its body had looked pretty big. The whispers were getting louder now, and were increasing at an alarming rate.

Ken stood up and started backing up toward Daisuke’s room again, each step he took sounding as though he was splashing in water. Unlike the last time this had happened, however, when he looked down at the floor there really _was_ water there. It had completely flooded the hallway, though he knew this had not been the case just a few seconds ago.

Ken's hands shot up to the back of his neck as a sharp pain seared through it. He cringed and fell back down to his knees, the water pooling all around him. Something about all of this felt horribly familiar, and not in a way that he wanted to remember.

Sudden thrashing in the water over by the control room pulled his attention back up. Ken gasped and leapt back up to his feet, though it was hard to keep himself steady. He covered his mouth in horror when he found what appeared to be a Hangyomon with red, glowing eyes looking straight at him. Its body was gray and blended in with the water. There was a moment of silence between them, and then the creature started running at him.

Ken turned around and ran as fast as he cold toward Daisuke’s room. At the same time, the laughter echoed so loudly in the hallway that it was painful. He covered his ears and finally realized that it was _his own_ laughter he was hearing.

“Stop it!” Ken shouted as he ran. His heartbeat thudded in his head faster than his feet could hit the floor. He could hear the splashing Hangyomon getting closer to him and the water seemed to be rising, which was only slowing him down. He wouldn’t make it at this rate!

With a shriek of fear, Ken spun around and kicked his leg out as hard as he could. Maybe he could at least hurt the creature to give him more room to run! However, his leg connected with nothing but air.

Ken panted deeply in the hallway, a cold sweat covering his body and tears tugging at his eyes. The floor was completely dry, the creature was gone, the noises had stopped and everything was still. The only thing left was the loud ringing in his ears.

He backed up with a whimper, almost back to Daisuke’s door now. “It was just a bad dream…” Ken whispered to himself as he looked back and forth along the hallway in both directions, trying desperately to calm himself down. “It was just a bad dream… I’m in Daisuke’s room still... I’ll wake up there and everything will be-”

As Ken looked back toward the control room, he suddenly found a dark, looming shadow standing right next to him where an empty hallway had just been. He started to scream, but his mouth was immediately covered by the creature’s hand. He was knocked back against the wall and his head hit the concrete again, causing white lights to dance in front of his vision.

Ken tried to pry the creature’s hand away from his face, which was large enough to cover his nose as well and prevent him from breathing. He kicked at its knees and bit its fingers, and it finally let go with a hiss of pain. With a gasp of air, Ken quickly ducked under its arm and ran toward Daisuke’s room again.

He could hear the creature’s massive footsteps behind him, and as he looked back it came out into the light a bit more. It was a Gorimon, but it’s body seemed to be made entirely of shadows.

Ken wrenched the door open and raced inside just as the creature dove at him. He slammed it shut and locked it, expecting a loud impact against the wood. However, there was neither a sound nor a shadow to be seen beneath the entryway. The only thing he heard was a gasp from somewhere else in the room.

After sinking back down to the floor and wrapping his arms around his shivering knees, Ken tried his best to stop hyperventilating. Tears were streaming down his face as he began to sob, and his nails dug into the fabric of his pants. He could tell that he wasn’t going to be able to calm down enough to stop crying anytime soon, so instead he buried his face into his arms.

“Ken…?” Daisuke’s voice was as soft as the hand he placed on his shoulder. Ken jumped with fright from the contact without meaning to, but Daisuke didn’t back away. "What's happening?"

“Th-There’s…” Ken tried to speak, but his words wouldn’t come out. He tried to focus on speaking instead of the terror that was still coursing through him, but he just couldn’t get his body to be still. “The… The…” Ken let out a growl of frustration when he still couldn't manage to talk. He couldn’t breathe again either, and he started to choke between sobs.

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Daisuke whispered urgently and pulled Ken into a tight hug. “Shhh…” His voice was very relaxing… Ken managed to at least nod against his chest, though he still couldn’t get himself to calm down. They sat there for a while, Daisuke just holding him silently.

Eventually, after many long minutes, Ken managed to quiet himself down a bit. Daisuke wrapped his arm around Ken’s shoulder and helped him to stand up on shaking legs. They slowly made their way over to the side of the bed, and when Ken sat down he covered his face with his hands. Not only was he still terrified, but he was also humiliated. Images of the two creatures came back into his mind and he almost started crying again, but he managed to keep it down this time.

“Ken?” Daisuke's voice was still very soft as he stood directly in front of him. "What’s going on? Please tell me."

"I-I… There were… The..." Ken tried to speak through his fingers, but his chest tightened and his breath caught in his throat again. It was so hard to speak… Why couldn’t he just talk?! His sudden frustration brought back the shaky hyperventilation.

“No, no, it’s okay,” Daisuke urged. “Don’t worry about it, we’ll figure it out later. Let’s just sleep some more for now, is that alright?”

Ken nodded, but when he felt the other boy walk away he peaked out from between his fingers. To his horror he saw Daisuke reaching for the light switch.

" _No_!" Ken jumped up and ran over to him, grabbing the other boy’s hand just before he could turn off the lights. He shook his head frantically and stammered, "No, no, no! Don’t, don’t! _Please don't_!"

“I won’t, I won’t!” Daisuke yanked his hand away from the wall and hugged Ken again. “I won’t, I promise! Don’t get upset again, it’s okay…”

"Don't make it dark..." Ken gasped and found it hard to get air into his lungs again. "It'll get me! It’ll kill me!"

“Ken,” Daisuke spoke firmly as he let his arms drop down to Ken’s lower back, gently rocking them back and forth. “Nothing will hurt you in here, I _promise_ …”

Ken clutched at Daisuke’s shirt and cried into his neck. No matter how many times he calmed down he would see that horrible thing again, and it started all over. They would get him, he knew it! If he was alone then he was done for!

Once again he was lead over to the bed, this time both of them crawling beneath the covers together. Ken clutched at Daisuke and held him close, and it was only the feeling of gentle fingers in his hair that finally calmed him down enough to stop sobbing.

Ken clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to be awake anymore. He didn’t know what those creatures were or why they kept vanishing like that, but he knew they were evil.

“It’s okay… It’s okay...” Daisuke repeated, leaving soft kisses on the top of Ken’s forehead. Daisuke brought the blanket up over them, and their warmth mingled together along with their legs.

Feeling Daisuke all around him, Ken finally let himself drift back to sleep.


	15. Conscience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

V-Mon sat in the grassy field, listening intently to the others as they spoke. All of the Chosen except for Mimi and Jyou had met up in the Digital World along with their partners. The goal was to find a new plan to rescue Daisuke, but so far they hadn't come up with much.

It had been a few days since V-Mon’s release from the base. As soon as he’d reached a gate, he'd been able to contact Koushiro who quickly transported him to his room. V-Mon had been staying with him and Tentomon ever since. Of course Koushiro had asked him many questions as soon as he'd arrived, but he didn't have very many answers.

V-Mon had no idea why Daisuke had chosen to stay in the base, or what had been said between him and Wormmon. He didn't know why Daisuke had made him leave, and he didn't know where Ken's base was at now. He didn’t know if Daisuke was safe, or if something was wrong, or _anything_.

Koushiro had tried to hide his disappointment with V-Mon’s lack of knowledge, but his facial expression had given him away. V-Mon understood though. Everyone just wanted to get Daisuke out of there as soon as possible, and he really wished he could help more. But really… What had Daisuke been thinking not coming with him?!

V-Mon looked up at the clear, blue sky. The field they were in was far away from any of the areas that Ken controlled, which should keep them safe from attack. The space around them was wide open with a few trees scattered here and there, and there were very few clouds in the sky.

Unfortunately the topic of discussion was quickly creating dark clouds over what would have otherwise been a nice day.

"But none of this even makes sense!" Miyako's voice cut harshly through the pleasant day. "Why would Daisuke _willingly_ choose to stay there?! He _wouldn’t_!"

"Maybe Ken used Wormmon to threaten him into staying?" Takeru offered, though he didn’t really seem to believe in his own idea.

"Why would Ken do it like that though?" Gabumon frowned.

"Yeah," Yamato picked up. "Ken wouldn’t have needed to send Wormmon for something like that. If he wanted to keep Daisuke there then he’d just do that himself."

"Yeah," Taichi sighed. "I don’t think Ken would have given Daisuke a choice in the matter to begin with. Wormmon must have been acting on his own."

V-Mon began tuning out the discussion again. He’d already told them everything he knew, with the exception of Ken and Daisuke’s kissing situation, and Ken’s weird behavior. He'd considered telling them about it, but ultimately he'd chosen to stay quiet. His partner would surely kill him later if he did, and it’s not like it would help the others save him anyway.

One thing was for sure though - something had _definitely_ been going on between Ken and Daisuke that he didn't understand at all. The only other things V-Mon really knew were that Ken had been fainting a lot, and his attitude had been changing. He'd become a lot less angry and had even laughed on a few occasions. Of course none of that explained why Daisuke would kiss him, or why he'd chosen to stay in the base, but V-Mon hadn’t missed it.

“I think that dark ring is still affecting Daisuke’s mind,” Iori’s remark caught V-Mon’s attention. “Even if it wasn’t on him physically, who's to say that it didn’t create a lasting effect on his mind? Maybe Ken only removed it because the damage was already done and it didn’t matter if it was on him anymore?”

“I hate to say it…” Jyou trailed off sadly. “But that would make a lot of sense. It would certainly explain why he chose to stay. There was probably still enough of Daisuke there deep down to at least let V-Mon go before it was too-"

"No," V-Mon cut off the conversation, all eyes turning toward him. "I know it wasn’t like that. We were so happy to see each other and he hugged me! After Wormmon removed my dark ring I was scared because I knew that Daisuke had a ring on too. When I saw him in the docking room though, I could tell it was him. He was totally himself."

"You really think that Daisuke was the one who made that choice?" Sora frowned a bit. "I'm not saying you're wrong, I just... It just doesn't make any sense."

“I know…” V-Mon sighed. “I don’t get it either, but I _know_ it was him!”

"If V-Mon says it was Daisuke, then I believe him," Hikari spoke up finally, having remained silent throughout the entire conversation so far. "He's Daisuke's partner. He would know better than anyone else if Daisuke was acting normally or not."

"That's true," Tailmon nodded, her tail flicking with her words. "I would always know if Hikari wasn't herself." She smiled up at her partner, and Hikari smiled back.

"But...!" Miyako groaned in frustration. "What other reason could there possibly be?! Ken's a heartless monster, he'd never just-!"

"Guys, this isn’t getting us anywhere," Koushiro shut his laptop with a snap. "There simply isn't enough information to make any conclusions with. We could sit here speculating for hours. Unless V-Mon has any more information he can provide, then I suggest we just move on to tracking Ken's base again."

All eyes moved to V-Mon and he tensed up. “Hmm…” he pondered for a moment, deciding that while he wasn’t going to say anything about the kiss, he could probably mention the only other thing he knew. “Ken wasn't really acting like himself recently. I’m not sure how to explain it, but he was being nicer than usual I guess. I’m not sure why though!"

"So... What are you saying?" Takeru raised an eyebrow.

"I don’t even know!" V-Mon laughed awkwardly at himself. "I'm just telling you what else I noticed. Something really weird was going on with Ken. I think he was getting seriously sick or something because he kept fainting."

Hikari gave V-Mon a surprised look, and then she seemed to consider something.

"Well if Ken is being so _nice_ , then why doesn't he let Daisuke go on his _birthday_?" Iori scoffed and seemed to disregard the possibility of there being any change in Ken. "I'd call _that_ a nice gesture, not being such a terrible person that his own partner had to take matters into his own hands."

Iori crossed his arms in a huff and Miyako nodded at his words. V-Mon just shrugged and gave up. Iori and Miyako seemed the most skeptical of the situation, and he doubted that anything he said was going to change that. They were just the kind of people who had to see something to believe it, and they didn’t seem to forgive others very easily.

"Well since this is going nowhere..." Koushiro slid his laptop back into his backpack. "We’ll just go back to scouting areas that Ken might be hiding in. He hasn't been up to much lately, though… I don't have very many leads."

"Alright," Takeru stood up and everyone followed his lead, including V-Mon. He was definitely ready to do something other than sit there and listen to everyone bicker!

Maybe he should have said something about the kiss… Was there any way it could help, though? He really didn’t want to upset his partner needlessly.

Koushiro began assigning everyone an area to investigate. V-Mon held Daisuke's blue D3 tightly in his hand and hoped that somehow he'd be able to find his partner today, even if the odds were slim. He couldn't evolve without him, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying his hardest! He could keep an eye out for the base or for any signs of it.

"V-Mon?" Hikari tapped his shoulder lightly, the others too distracted with their new missions to notice her speaking to him.

"Oh, hi!" V-Mon turned and smiled up at her.

"I wanted to ask..." she seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "Do you think that Daisuke stayed because of Ken's sickness?"

"Huh?" V-Mon thought about it, and after a bit he supposed that it wasn't totally unlikely. "I guess that could be it, but Ken was just passing out. Nothing too serious."

"Fainting can be an indicator of many _very_ serious problems," Hikari lowered her voice some more. "If Ken was in some kind of life threatening danger, I could see Daisuke temporarily putting aside their differences to help him. Maybe Wormmon told him about his condition during their conversation, and Daisuke made you leave to keep you from getting sick too?"

“Yeah!” V-Mon agreed excitedly, happy to see _someone_ being rational about this! Daisuke was a blockhead at times, but there was no doubt that he had a big heart. “I mean, I don't know for sure, but that feels better than the other ideas!”

"Let's just keep this between us for now though, okay?" Hikari winked at V-Mon.

"Why?" V-Mon asked, feeling a bit confused with the sudden secrets.

"Well..." Hikari looked back over at the group and frowned. "I just don’t think the others would grasp the possibility of Daisuke genuinely wanting to help Ken without some sort of manipulation. I feel like I can understand it in a way that they might struggle with."

"Hikari... can I ask you something?" V-Mon asked in an unsure voice, wondering immediately if he’d just made a huge mistake.

"Of course,” Hikari said with a soft smile.

“Why…” V-Mon chewed on his lip as he battled with the indecision of whether or not he should really ask his question. Eh, he’d already started, so… “Why do humans kiss?"

Hikari raised a confused eyebrow. “Uh…” she trailed off for a moment. "Well, we kiss because we love each other. There are many different kinds of love, but that's ultimately the reason."

"What kinds of love are there?" V-Mon questioned with pleading eyes, hoping that maybe she could shed some light on this massively confusing topic.

Hikari chuckled a bit and began, "Mothers kiss their babies to show that they care about them and will protect them, which is a form of love. A boy might kiss a girl because he cares for her romantically, and that's also love. People kiss because they're attracted to each other physically, or someone might kiss their friend on the cheek just to show they care - those are all love too."

"Do people ever kiss someone they _don’t_ care about?" V-Mon asked quietly.

“Hmm…” Hikari seemed to think about the question for a moment or two before answering. “I suppose anything is possible, but that would be a lot less common. Even if it’s just physical attraction, they still love _something_ about them. Maybe it’s just each other’s bodies in that case.”

V-Mon hummed with disappointment. He didn't think he was going to understand this for real unless he either told Hikari what had happened, or until he could ask Daisuke himself. At the very least, based on what Hikari had just said, Daisuke _apparently_ loved Ken in some way.

“Why do you ask?” Hikari’s eyes were piercing, as though she was searching his soul for answers.

“Um…” V-Mon trailed off nervously as he tried to think of a believable lie. When he couldn’t really come up with anything though, he just settled on an easier response. “No reason!”

As V-Mon began walking back over to the others, he only just barely noticed the way Hikari's eyes widened. He stiffened up but didn’t turn back around, not daring to look at her again.

********************

Daisuke walked swiftly down the hall, his nerves fluttering in his chest. Waking up alone after what had happened a few hours ago was _not_ sitting well in his stomach. He needed to find Ken, and he needed to find him _fast_! What if he was having another panic attack somewhere? So much could have happened in the last hour! He wanted to kick himself for falling asleep again. He’d had every intention of getting up as soon as Ken dozed off, but snuggling up against Ken had just been so damned _comfortable_...

He opened the doors to the control room and the guards didn’t seem to care about his entrance. That was a good sign, right? At least it indicated that Ken hadn't gone back into a Kaiser mood and banned him from doing anything. His happiness was short lived as soon as he found the room to be empty.

Daisuke tried the bathrooms after that, and when he found nothing there either he went on to try the kitchen instead. It was empty too, as well as the cleaning closet and the security room. This just left Ken's bedroom and the infirmary, assuming he was even on the top floor. If he wasn't, then he seriously could be anywhere!

Agh this _sucked_! Why did he have to go and fall asleep like a _moron_?! Damn it, damn it, _damn it_!

Ken's bedroom was the closest place he hadn’t checked yet, so that was his next target. However, as soon as he approached the room, both of the Gorimon guards stepped in front of the door defensively. They were clearly trying to stop him from entering, which only got Daisuke’s hopes up that maybe he was inside.

“Don't even try it,” one of the Gorimon warned him. “Under no circumstances are you allowed in there.”

"Fine," Daisuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he looked up at them. "But can you at least tell me if Ken's in there or not?"

"The master is not inside," the same Gorimon answered.

"Okay, but did he come over here anytime in the last hour?" Daisuke asked in hopes of at least discovering where Ken _had_ been. He was so sick of searching for him… He really wished he could figure out how to use Ken’s control panels so he could located him that way.

"No, he’s been gone since early this morning," the Gorimon seemed to relax a bit. "He hasn't even come down this hallway."

Daisuke nodded and headed over to the infirmary instead. While it was nice to not be met with another empty room this time, he still didn’t see Ken anywhere. Instead he found Wormmon, who seemed to be looking at some kind of chart on a large machine. His posture was stiff and his eyebrows were furrowed nervously. Was Wormmon upset about something?

"Ugh!" Daisuke groaned and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Dang it, now what was he supposed to do? This was exactly what he’d been afraid of!

"Daisuke?" Wormmon asked and turned away from whatever it was he’d been doing. "Are you alright?"

" _No_!" Daisuke threw his arms up in exasperation. "I can't find Ken anywhere! He's not in any of the places he should be, so now I have no idea where else to look!"

"Why are you looking for him? Did something happen?" Wormmon was immediately worried.

“Last night he had a really bad panic attack and I have no idea why,” Daisuke said and tried to remember the incident as best he could. “He couldn’t stop crying! He was shaking really bad and he couldn’t even tell me what happened. We kind of fell asleep after that…” Daisuke sighed. “And now he's just completely _gone_!”

Wormmon seemed to get even more worried and Daisuke felt a bit bad for making his day worse.

"What's wrong with _you_ though?" Daisuke asked, hoping to change the subject. “You already seemed upset before I said all that, so…”

"Come look at this," Wormmon said and motioned over to the screen he was looking at. Daisuke complied and stood next to the stool that he was perched on top of. "This is an X-Ray of Ken's body that was sent to the control room from here not too long ago."

Daisuke blinked and looked down at the information, many confusing charts and texts scattered about. The only thing he really recognized was Ken's skeletal diagram. He knew what the body parts should look like and everything seemed fine. There was one exception though - a large black dot in the back of Ken's neck that was blinking repeatedly. There was a little text bubble next to it that read ‘ _Foreign object - Mechanical, Electrical, Draining. Further properties unknown._ '

"That's the spore, right?" Daisuke used the touch screen to turn the skeletal diagram around and to look at it from different angles. He zoomed in on it as far as he could, trying to get a better look at it. The term 'spore' really did fit... It totally looked like a black, barbed plant seed or something.

"Yes," Wormmon nodded. "I’m afraid that Ken may have sent this exam to the control room. He was probably going to study it in private, but I don’t know if he’s seen the results yet or not. If he knows about it..." Wormmon trailed off, seeming to think of something. “Maybe that’s why he had a panic attack?”

"Hmm..." Daisuke looked over at Wormmon. "Well if he does know about it, then I guess it’s good that it didn’t just drain him to death like you were afraid of."

"But if he _doesn't_ know, and we accidentally tip him off to it being there..." Wormmon sighed and shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous."

Daisuke was starting to get frustrated again. “Wormmon, we can't just be safe forever! If that spore really is controlling his mind and slowly killing him like you said, then we need to _do_ something! We can't just keep sitting around here being too scared to act!”

"Endangering him further isn't going to help-"

"It's even _less_ helpful for us to just cower in fear!" Daisuke cut him off before he could finish. "You said you felt bad because you hadn’t done anything, right? Well stop doing nothing! At the rate we're going, he's either gonna go back to being the Kaiser again or he'll be a flat-line here in the infirmary instead! Let’s at least find out what he knows."

"Daisuke..." Wormmon seemed to get very nervous now. "If we ask him about it, it’ll only make him curious to find out more. It could kill him right there!"

Daisuke sighed and looked at the X-Ray diagram again, trying to read some of the words in the large text box nearby. He gave up after about thirty seconds though, rubbing the headache that was forming between his eyes with his finger tips. Yeah... they would need Andromon for this.

"I can't make any sense out of this crap..." Daisuke leaned against the machine. "What if we shocked it again, do you think that would shut it off? I mean, it only got screwed up in the first place _because_ of an electric shock... Or maybe it would give the spore enough energy to stop using Ken's? We should ask Andromon, I bet he’d know!"

"I guess we could ask him," Wormmon gave him a small, hopeful smile.

“There we go!” Daisuke smiled back. “It’s a start at least. I really want to fix this so Ken won’t go back to being the Kaiser again… ‘Cause you know, believe it or not,” Daisuke said with a sarcastic smirk. “I don’t really like getting whipped or having Bio Rings around my neck.”

"Ken is a nice boy," Wormmon insisted before turning back toward the diagram. “That’s not Ken doing those things, it’s the spore.”

“Don’t worry, I know,” Daisuke sighed and looked back over at the door on the opposite side of the room. He could see the empty hallway through the crack in the door. He hadn’t shut it when he’d come in, but it’s not like it mattered. In any case, it was nice to finally make some actual progress. With any luck, they might be able to fully deactivate the spore soon!

********************

The elevator doors opened and the buttons to select a floor lit up. The light on the ceiling was dim, only making the strained environment feel even worse. Ken sighed as he entered the lift and tried to decide which floor to pick. His body felt shaky though and it was hard to focus on what he was doing. Looking at the buttons didn't really help him snap out of it, either. Eventually he settled on just pushing a random button and letting the elevator take him wherever it went.

There were just too many things on his mind… He hadn't intended to overhear Daisuke and Wormmon's discussion in the infirmary just now, but he’d been too frozen in place to leave at the time. He'd been going in there to try and have someone look at the back of his neck because it kept burning, not to hear about some sort of conspiracy theory that had been kept from him.

Why hadn’t they said anything before? Ken only had some of the pieces to the situation, but they seemed to think that keeping it a secret was for his own safety. If Ken knew about it though, then he could do something to handle it on his own! He was certainly smarter than either of them were, so he had a much higher chance of successfully removing whatever this foreign object was.

And what was this about Andromon? Was he in on it too? Ken felt the back of his neck with his fingertips... It was throbbing again.

He kind of wished that he had burst into the room and yelled at them now, but at the time he'd just been too overwhelmed and confused to do anything other than walk away. They were probably wrong about whatever they thought they’d found anyway. But then again… If Andromon was helping then maybe it was true? But really… a mechanical spore that could control his mind and kill him somehow? Did they _honestly_ expect him to believe that? He supposed Andromon might be skilled enough to gather such information, but even with that he still doubted it.

Ken didn't allow himself to trust people enough that he would ever feel betrayed by their actions, so it bothered him that he felt so strongly about this. He had clearly gotten too attached to Daisuke and Wormmon. Being close to them had just felt so nice... He couldn't recall truly caring for anyone but his brother before, and this was exactly why. Every time he let himself get close to someone, it always ended with pain. He couldn't trust loving someone the way he'd loved Osamu, not ever. Love and friendship were stupid. They did nothing more than build you up to be dropped later.

Daisuke and Wormmon were stupid. They didn't know anything, and neither did Andromon. He just needed to investigate whatever it was in his neck on his own. He'd find out what was _really_ going on.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Before him was the darkest dungeon at the bottom of the base where only the strongest digimon were stored. At the end of the hallway on the other side of the room was a large door where the digimon were released from. Its main purpose was to attack the Chosen and to send out ground troops.

As Ken walked into the room a chill ran down his spine. He realized that this was the first time he'd felt so uncomfortable there. He went down to the lower dungeons all the time and he’d always felt fine, so why was it bothering him so much now?

As he walked further into the room he was immediately surrounded by glowing red eyes. The slaves seemed to be waiting for his orders, though Ken had none to give. He wasn't sure why he'd even left the elevator in the first place. Nothing felt right anymore - the base, the slaves, his mission, Daisuke, Wormmon, what he'd overheard about the spore... Everything felt off. Maybe if he could just figure out what he really wanted anymore, then he could find some peace.

Did he really want to be the Kaiser still? Did he want to just give up and go home? _'What can I do to fix all of this?_ ' Ken thought to himself, his eyes focusing on the massive exit doors across the room.

"Nothing," a familiar voice said curtly from behind him where the elevator was. Ken immediately stiffened up and turned around. His fears were confirmed when he found his brother Osamu there, looking exactly the same as he’d been just before his death. However, his body was whole, healthy and undamaged.

"Wh-What…?" Ken backed away from him. How could he possibly be there in front of him like that? It wasn't possible!

"There’s nothing you can do to fix this," Osamu's voice was filled with anger and disgust. "Not after what you did to me. We _both_ know I only died because you wished for it so badly! Apparently I meant so little to you that your desire to have more attention surpassed the value of my life!"

Ken's chest tightened. “I didn't really want that!” he shook his head, not sure if any of this was real or not. He was sad to find his brother still standing there when he opened his eyes. “I was little, I didn't know what I was saying!”

"If you said it _at all_ then there was clearly a part of you that desired it!" Osamu shouted angrily. "I knew mom and dad were neglecting you, so I constantly put off things that I needed to do just to play with you instead! I sacrificed so much to make you happy, all because you were my little brother! Look what that got me… You’re ungrateful and selfish!"

"N-No!" Ken's body and voice were shaking. "I didn't want-!"

"I know you were listening, Ken," a new voice spoke up and Ken spun around toward the large exit doors. Daisuke was the one in front of him now. "You found out that I've been trying to protect you, and now you actually think less of me for it? After sacrificing my chance to leave the base and to be _happy_ again, _just_ so I could try to help you, this is how you repay me?"

Ken shook his head in frustration. "Why did you lie to me?! I probably could have fixed it by now if you had just-!"

"How many times have you betrayed _me_?!" Daisuke snapped. "At least I was looking out for your best interests! What about when you turned a bunch of Bakemon into my friends and made me beg for forgiveness, or when you put the Bio Ring on me? Where were your _good intentions_ in that?!"

"But… But I-!"

"And don’t even try to act like you would have believed anything I said about the spore," Daisuke cut him off again. "You would have just laughed in my face if I’d tried to tell you about this, and then whipped me again or something! So yeah, I did it secretly. And _what do you know,_ even _that_ gets me in trouble! Nothing will ever be good enough for you!" Daisuke growled in a low tone. "You'll always be selfish and ungrateful!"

"I've sacrificed a lot for you too, Ken," Wormmon was suddenly at Ken's shivering feet. "I've been hurt more than anyone else in this base, and yet I've never left you. No matter how much it hurt me, I've always stayed quietly by your side."

"Wormmon..." Ken's knees buckled and he landed on folded legs, his shoulders shaking from the effort it took to stay composed.

"But you don't love me back, do you?" Wormmon continued with sad eyes. "No matter how much abuse I deal with, this is all just a fun game for you, isn’t it? Hurting me makes you happy, seeing me cry makes your day brighter... Ken-chan, if I died you wouldn't care at all, would you?"

"At least you get to deal with all of that."

Ken didn't need to look up to know that the slave in the cell just behind him had said that, whichever digimon it was.

"We just sit in here all day long, alone in the dark," the digimon continued. "We're not allowed to leave or see light, feel fresh air, or even walk around the base. We're whipped for no reason, screamed at, and eventually sent off to fight and possibly die for nothing. All we can hope for is that we’ll get lucky enough to fight the Chosen instead of each other, and maybe we can be released from the dark ring that way."

Ken shivered from head to toe. Deep down he knew that everything they were saying was true, and the fact that it hurt so much was horribly confusing for him. He had never cared about any of these things before, but hearing it now made him hate himself in a way that he’d never experienced.

"It's simple, Ken." Osamu walked forward and stopped right in front of him. " _You're_ the one who should have died, not me."

"You're scum!" Daisuke stomped up to him and hollered. "I could have gone home and been with my friends and family but I stayed here to help _you_ instead! I may as well have just left you here to _rot_ , since you hate everything I do for you anyway!"

"I shouldn't even be your partner," Wormmon verbally spat. "If you want a stronger digimon so badly, then you might as well just go find one. I wonder how you'll survive without me here protecting you?"

Ken finally broke down and sobbed into his hands. He really should have been the one to die instead of Osamu. In every way his brother had been better and more worthwhile than him. And Daisuke… He really had stayed to try and help him, and all Ken could do was look down on him. He hadn't appreciated any of his efforts. Wormmon had been treated the worst of all, though... He’d been putting up with Ken’s abuse for much longer than anyone else, and for no more reason than the fact that he loved Ken.

He was a monster.

"I'm done watching over you," Osamu's voice was quiet. "You aren't the kind little brother I remember, so I may as well just move on."

"I'm leaving the base," Daisuke spoke up immediately after that, and Ken could feel his arms shaking harder. "I don't need to help someone and then get treated like crap for it."

"I'm going with Daisuke," Wormmon said and looked up at him with no compassion in his eyes whatsoever. "I'm sure he and the other Chosen will love me back, unlike you."

"No!" Ken gasped and stood up. All three of them had already turned around and started walking toward the large exit doors. "Wait!" Ken ran forward in hopes of grabbing at least one of them before they reached the door. He didn't want to be alone in this dark place!

But… But did he even deserve them? Ken slowed to a walk and let his arms fall a bit.

After how hard he'd pushed everyone away, what right did he have to ask them to stay now? He was lucky that Wormmon had remained for even this long, and that Daisuke had chosen to try and help him in the first place. He'd always felt like Osamu was watching over him, but why would he want to anymore? They were honestly the only things he had left, and he didn't deserve any of them.

Ken stopped walking and let his arms fall limp at his sides. The doorway that lead out into the Digital World was bright with light, and a few seconds later Daisuke picked up Wormmon and the two of them left the base. Osamu quickly followed behind them, and the light seemed to envelope them completely. The doors shut loudly, and Ken was left alone in the now completely dark dungeon with his slaves. Somewhere in the room a light flickered on, though it was barely bright enough to see anything.

Suddenly countless angry shouts and curses blended together into a violent hum from the surrounding digimon. Ken gasped and spun around in shock.

"Monster!"

"Ungrateful filth!"

"Murderer!"

"Psychopath!"

"Unforgivable!"

Ken felt numb from head to toe. After pushing away the only people who had ever truly mattered to him, this was all he had left now. He had the base, the slaves, and himself. He would never be welcome in the Digital World as a friend, and the real world was a fate worse than death. He would just have to accept his future as the Kaiser until the bitter end now...

Ken gasped and held his neck. No... no, this wasn't what he wanted! He didn't want to be all alone here! He didn’t want to do anymore of these terrible things! Why couldn't he just try to start over like Daisuke had said before? It would be hard work, but he could do it if he just-!

The back of his neck erupted in pain and Ken fell to the floor. As he clutched at the spot, a terrible realization came to him. Daisuke and Wormmon were right, weren't they? The spore knew he was having second thoughts about being the Kaiser, so it was trying to manipulate him. It was convincing him to give up and just let his own mind and desires go away forever!

Suddenly the room spun and warped. Objects stretched and curled like abstract art, and many of the colors around him became inverted. The sound of the elevator doors closing caught Ken's attention.

These images… They were distractions. The shadows and the water too - they were all fear tactics to keep him from ever getting around to actually examining that damned spore!

Ken jumped up onto his feet and ran as fast as he could toward the elevator. Just before it was going to shut, he shoved his hands into the gap and pulled one of the sliding doors in the opposite direction. They creaked and pulled against him, both doors linked and still trying to close. He was managing to pull them open though, little by little.

A shadow in the room moved, and Ken looked back into the dungeons. A black, featureless figure stood in the middle of the hallway. The cape on its back and the spikes in its hair... It was quite clear that it was supposed to be the Kaiser.

Ken's body went ice cold as the shadow walked towards him, its movements jerky and unbalanced. He wrenched hard on the door, forcing them both to open another inch or so. The figure was shaking as it walked, like the act of moving was difficult for it. Ken shut his eyes and screamed for adrenalin, this time managing to pull the doors open enough to squeeze through the gap between them.

Ice cold hands suddenly wrapped around Ken’s neck as he tried to get into the elevator, and the moment it touched him his head was filled with the sound of his own evil cackling. Ken stumbled and fell painfully to the hard floor. His shadowed, Kaiser-self reached down and grabbed his leg, yanking him back out of the elevator. He managed to grab onto the doors again though.

A wave of hopelessness filled his chest. He tried to pull himself back inside before the doors could close again, but with the shadow pulling against him so hard that he knew it wasn't possible. He was going to be pulled back into the dungeon and the elevator would shut. After that…

“ _No_!” Ken screamed furiously and thrashed his legs. “ _You’re not real_!”

Suddenly everything shifted back to normal. He was still laying on the cement floor, but there was no figure holding his leg. The colors were back to normal as well, and the laughing had stopped.

Ken jumped back up and raced into the elevator as spasms shot up his body. A sharp gasp filled his lungs, and the exhale turned into a gut wrenching scream. As soon as he’d gotten most of the air out, the scream turned into shaky sobs. He breathed in again and then whimpered as he released it. His arms quivered as he held his head.

That wasn’t the first time he’d physically felt one of the visions, but something about it had been a lot more sinister than the first. He was so confused… Had something _actually_ grabbed him and pulled him back, or had it all just been a very detailed hallucination? The Gorimon slamming him against the wall, this shadow pulling him backward… What did it mean?!

After many attempts to slow down his breathing, he managed to get the spasms to stop. He'd calmed at least enough to notice the dark lower dungeon in front of him, and the red eyes of the slaves staring back at him through the open elevator doors.

Ken held his breath as the fear came roaring back, and he forced himself back up onto his feet. Having no strength left, he stood just long enough to smash the button for the top level of the base. As the doors shut and the lift began ascending, he dropped to the floor. He shook as his hands twisted into his hair painfully. He’d hoped that if he just kept taking in deep breaths he would eventually calm down, but that didn’t seem to be the case this time.

The elevator doors opened and lead the way into the empty hall on the top floor. He pulled himself up onto his feet as best he could. His entire body ached as though he was horribly ill, and his head was starting to spin. He was finding it very difficult to keep his balance.

Ken stumbled along but managed to hold onto the wall for support. As he neared the infirmary he felt himself tense up. What if Daisuke and Wormmon weren't in there anymore? What if they really had left and it wasn’t just a hallucination?! What if that shadow was still down in the dungeons?! What if…?!

Upon reaching the outside of the infirmary, Ken was able to hear Wormmon and Daisuke talking quietly. They weren't discussing the spore anymore from the sounds of it, and were instead going on about where Ken might be.

He let himself slide down to the floor. Silent sobs of relief shook his body and he shut his eyes to hold back his tears. They were still there... They hadn't left… From the sounds of it though, they were about to start looking for him. He couldn't handle facing them right now, not right after all that...

Ken tried to get back up on his feet, but his strength just wasn't there. It was hard to stay awake and his body was weaker than he could ever recall it being. It had to be from the spore. Daisuke and Wormmon had been right... He needed to overpower this wretched thing! He wasn't going to let it win!

With a cringe, Ken managed to force his body back up onto his feet. Pain seared through him from head to toe, but he forced himself to take a step toward his bedroom anyway. Every movement ached as he walked along the wall, but eventually his bedroom was in sight along with the guards outside. They saw him and immediately realized that something was wrong. Ken let himself go limp as soon as one of them had reached him and could catch him.

"Master!" The Gorimon lead him gently down into a sitting position. "What's wrong? Did someone attack you?"

"N-No..." Ken cringed and tried to push back the nausea rising in his throat. "I'm just... sick..."

Ken allowed himself to be picked up by the Gorimon after that and carried into his room. He was placed on his mattress and his blanket was pulled up over him. He was finally able to relax his sore muscles… The warmth of his bed felt so nice...

"Master, what should we do?" The other Gorimon asked from outside the room.

"Just stay out there," Ken sighed as drowsiness began to overtake him. "Leave my light on and shut the door. I'll… I’ll call to you if I need anything, so just... just stay there and let me rest..."

"Yes, Master," both Gorimon said with a nod, leaving the room and shutting the door behind them without turning off any of the lights.

Ken wanted to sleep but he had so many thoughts swirling around in his mind. He couldn't really grasp onto any one idea anymore though… As soon as he found one he could focus on, five more shoved their way into his mind and clouded it all up. After a while he decided to just shut down instead. He realized something though, right before falling asleep again.

He needed Daisuke and Wormmon. There was no way he was going to pull himself out of whatever Hell he was quickly falling into without them.


	16. Heat (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm
> 
> Author's Note: This chapter contains sexually explicit content. If you do not feel comfortable with that, then please read the Fanfiction.net version, which is censored. Otherwise you can read the full version of the chapter on AO3 which has nothing cut out. In either case my username is Trippnessa, so you should be able to find me easily enough. If you have any trouble though just PM me and I’ll link you to where you want to go.

Something was wrong.

Daisuke's mind was going in a million directions as he and Wormmon once again split up to search the base. None of the slaves seemed to have any idea where he’d gone in the last three days, and Daisuke’s fears were starting to get out of hand. It was like he'd vanished entirely or something!

What if Ken had left the base for some reason? But, no… Wormmon would have been informed of his departure. Ken always told him where he was going, and even if he didn’t, the other slaves would have seen him leave.

He was just going to have to check every single room that he could, even if it would take hours and hours to do so. He would start at the bottom level dungeons and work his way up, since he hadn’t really been down there before.

Daisuke entered the elevator and pushed the button for his destination. If V-Mon were still here, he could search the base twice as quickly as-

No, he wasn't going to start missing V-Mon again. He'd spent enough time moping over that as it was. He'd done the right thing in setting him free.

The elevator doors opened and the dark, unsettling high-security dungeon appeared before him. The hallway to the docking doors on the other side of the room seemed to stretch on forever, and the eerie sea of red glowing eyes in the darkness certainly did nothing to make him want to enter. He had to though, so after swallowing down his nervousness he took a few steps inside.

The elevator doors shut behind him and a few lights turned on, but they almost seemed to make the shadows larger. He walked further into the room, noticing that there were no guards stationed down here. There were tons of video cameras though.

Man, this was creepy... He didn't want to be in here for very long.

"Hey!" Daisuke spoke up loudly, gaining the attention of every slave inside. He swallowed, not sure if he liked his plan anymore. "Have any of you seen Ken?"

"Yes," many of the slaves said at the same time.

"R-Really?!" Daisuke's eyes widened with relief. "When did you see him?!"

"Master was here a few days ago," one of the Devidramon slaves answered.

“A few days…?” Daisuke felt his heart sink. Damn it… Well, it was a start he supposed. “What did he do?”

"Master was in a panic," a Meramon spoke up this time, the light from his fiery body flickering as he approached the bars of his prison cell. "He ran and collapsed on the floor, and then he seemed to have a seizure or something. He was screaming as though something was attacking him but nothing was there."

Daisuke cursed under his breath and started to panic a bit. He’d had a seizure?! This wasn’t good… He needed to find him by the end of the day no matter what it took!

An Ebidramon spoke up from the other side of the hallway this time, "We asked if he was alright but he never said a word to us. He barely managed to get back into the elevator. We haven't seen him since."

"Thanks..." Daisuke trailed off and looked down at the floor. If Ken had simply gotten back into the elevator afterward, then he could be anywhere now. He still didn’t really have any leads... Daisuke needed to help him before something bad happened… Again.

Daisuke turned and got back inside the lift, pushing the button for the next floor up. Alright, once he got up there he’d call Wormmon and-

The doors opened up to the next floor, but there was already someone standing in front of the elevator waiting to get in.

" _Ken_!" Daisuke reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him inside before the other boy could try to run away or something. He felt a massive wave of relief wash over him all at once. "Where have you been?! I’ve been looking _everywhere_ for you! It’s been days!"

Ken didn't answer, though he did seem to stiffen up. He stared intently over at the elevator buttons for some reason. He was in his regular clothes for whatever reason, with his hair straight and soft, and his eyes that purple shade again. At least those were all fairly good signs.

“Um... Ken?” Daisuke repeated, and when he still received no response he waved a hand in front of the other boy’s face. Ken twitched a bit and seemed to get irritated, but he said nothing and continued staring. “Come on, Ken!” Daisuke pleaded. “Don't give me the cold shoulder now!”

"Daisuke," Ken's voice was firm and curt. "Please don't speak to me right now. It's hard to keep my mind empty with you doing this."

"I... What?" Daisuke raised an eyebrow. Keep his mind empty? What the heck? "Look, if you don't want to talk to me that’s fine, but the next time you go and vanish into thin air can you at least let me know first or something? That way I’m not looking all over the place for you!"

"Daisuke," Ken's voice was now pleading, his eyes narrowing at the buttons. "You want to help me, right? You can do that by not talking to me."

"Yeah, fine, great," Daisuke grumbled under his breath at the obvious insult as he pushed the button for the top floor of the base. The elevator finally closed and began ascending toward its destination, though Daisuke was finding himself too irritated to care where it went anymore. "Just the usual ' _you're so stupid Daisuke, just shut up and go away_ ' business I see."

"That's not it," Ken answered calmly, but Daisuke could tell that it strained him to do so. "Just let me out of the elevator now. I'll just-" Ken tried to press the button for the next floor up, but Daisuke stepped in front of the panel.

"No! I'm not letting you out until you tell me what's going on!" Daisuke raised his voice and crossed his arms. Ken wasn't going to just brush him off again, not after everything that had happened back in his bedroom! "Why are you avoiding-?"

"DAISUKE," Ken didn't yell, but his voice came out loud and demanding. "I overheard you and Wormmon the other day, so for the sake of my sanity _please_ don't talk. It makes me think about _that_ , okay? That _is_ what you stayed in the base for, right? To help me?"

The cogs in Daisuke’s mind started turning, his eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to piece it all together. Ken had overheard them and was trying to not think about… _that_? Something about what Daisuke had stayed for? What the heck did that mean? The last time he'd really spoken with Wormmon was in the infirmary three days ago... They'd talked about a lot of things, but mostly about the spore.

Daisuke’s eyes went wide. Everything clicked together and made sense all at once.

Here was Daisuke chatting Ken up, asking him where he’d been in the confined space of an elevator after he’d found out about it! For fuck's sake, why was he just _so slow_ sometimes? This was terrible... He hadn't wanted Ken to find out like this!

Daisuke groaned and put his hands over his face.

"I see you figured it out," Ken laughed beside him, but it didn’t sound happy at all. It was more like a nervous hysteria than anything else. His body was completely stiff as he watched the buttons light up as they neared the top floor.

"I... I uh..." Daisuke's voice was a bit shaky. He felt incredibly stupid, and for once if Ken called him a moron he wouldn't even fight it. "Are you okay?" he eventually managed to ask.

"Um... no," Ken answered frankly, his eyes finally moving up to Daisuke's face. They were filled with tears and more fear than he’d ever seen on his face. "No… N-No I’m not..." Ken clenched his eyes shut and shook his head, some of the tears falling down his cheeks. He wiped his face and focused back on the buttons after he’d regained his composure.

Daisuke cringed and looked over at the lights as well. He just wanted to curl up and smack himself for making such a terrible mistake... Why hadn't he just shut the infirmary door?!

Alright, he needed to think… This could actually be a good thing, right? If Ken didn’t think about the spore or how to get rid of it, then apparently it left him alone to an extent. If Ken tried to overpower it too much it would react, but as long as he didn’t do that then he should be fine. This was important information! He needed to get it to Andromon as soon as possible.

For the moment though, the air was terribly awkward around them. Not talking to Ken when he was right there was really hard, especially while he was so worried about him. The elevator reached the top floor quickly enough and the doors opened, Ken stepping out very quickly. Daisuke followed him out but he still couldn't think of anything to say.

"I'm going to the control room for a while," Ken said in a shaky voice, his eyes holding a desperate tone. He was trying to tell him something without saying it... "I feel really tired so I think I should just work on something. Anything... you know? If I keep working I’ll be okay… It won’t do anything if I just keep w-working..."

Ken shivered and looked like he was about to cry. Daisuke had to fight against the urge to just run forward and hug him.

“Y-Yeah, just keep working for now…” Daisuke’s head fell as he spoke. “If you need anything just call me over the intercom, okay?”

"Right," Ken whispered and at first it seemed as though he was going to back away, but at the last second he did the opposite.

Daisuke gasped as Ken’s arms wrap tightly around his back and held on desperately. He immediately returned the embrace and there was a mutual fear that they shared. Something was going to give soon... If it wasn't the spore, then it would be Ken. Maybe it would be his sanity that would finally break, or maybe he’d just die, but Daisuke couldn’t allow either to happen! There wasn't any more time left! Daisuke had to act _now_!

“I’m sorry…” Ken shuddered, biting his lip to keep himself from breaking down. “For everything I’ve… Whatever it might make me do... I’m so… I’m _so sorry_ …”

“It’s okay…” Daisuke breathed into Ken’s neck and had to fight back his own tears. He held onto him with shaking hands. “This isn’t your fault... I’ll get you out of here, I _promise_ …”

Ken’s body sagged and went weak for a second, but Daisuke helped him stay on his feet. He seemed to regain his strength almost immediately though. Had the spore been giving them a warning to back off or something? It was like it was holding him hostage!

"I'll see you later," Ken cleared his throat as he pulled away and walked quickly toward the control room. Daisuke clenched his fists and shut his eyes, having to summon up all of his self control to not run after him. This wasn’t okay… He would _not_ let this happen anymore!

With a furious growl Daisuke stormed back over to the elevator. He needed to go find Andromon and Wormmon! Andromon normally stayed in the third floor security room and kept the cameras around the base working, so he’d try there.

Thankfully his hunch had been correct. "Andromon!" Daisuke called out and was happy to see that he was the only one in the room. He made a point of shutting the door _firmly_ behind him. "I need to talk to you right away!"

"What about?" Andromon asked, his voice just as robotic as the other Andromon that Daisuke had met in that old factory with the others. This wasn't the same digimon, though.

"It's about Ken," Daisuke replied quickly. "He knows about the spore because he overheard me talking about it with Wormmon... Stupid, _stupid_ mistake..."

Daisuke watched as he continued working at the console. As soon as Andromon glanced over at him to let him know he was listening though, Daisuke continued, "Ken’s in a lot of danger! If he doesn’t get enough work done then the spore gives him seizures and shit! Please, you’ve gotta help him somehow!"

"I understand," Andromon replied simply.

Daisuke blinked slowly and waited as the room suddenly fell into silence. Surely Andromon had more to say than that… didn’t he? However, as Daisuke continued to watch him work at the security panel, he got the sinking feeling that the conversation was over.

"Um… Andromon?" Daisuke asked after a while.

"Yes, Daisuke?" Andromon responded without looking at him.

“Don’t you have more to say than that?!” Daisuke snapped angrily. “Ken is _dying_ and you just _understand_?! Come on, you need to help him! Tell me how to save Ken!”

Andromon turned and looked down at him for a moment, as though he was analyzing him from head to toe. He clicked a few buttons on the keyboard to lock up the panel, and then he finally turned to face him again.

“Daisuke,” Andromon began. “You wish to aid the master in overpowering the spore's influence, is that correct?”

“ _Yes_!” Daisuke threw his hands up exasperatedly. “That’s what I was just telling you!”

"Then you must understand that there is no guaranteed strategy for restoring the master's mental health," Andromon looked Daisuke straight in the eyes as he spoke. "I contain a multitude of possible solutions to his problem, though all of them possess a relatively high chance of failure. We must ultimately choose the course of action with the highest success rate and put our emotions aside. I can accomplish this easily, though I remain unconvinced that you and Wormmon are capable."

"Not capable?" Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "Of course we’re capable of helping him! That’s all I’ve been trying to do since I chose to stay here!"

“You misunderstand,” Andromon stated matter-of-factly. “I have already communicated my highest success strategies to Wormmon. However, his senses were compromised with emotions and he refused to consider it. On his part, this was not a wise course of action. I expect the same from you, as you are also plagued with similar emotions.”

"What were your ideas?" Daisuke didn't have a good feeling about this… “Just let me hear them.”

“I will ascend from lowest success rate to highest,” Andromon began. “Physical removal of the spore without it being fully deactivated first would almost certainly cause the master to be electrocuted to death. I have already confirmed that the spore contains self-preservation programming, and I believe electrical discharge would be the easiest way for it to fight back.

“Another option would be to encourage him to fight against it with his own willpower, as Wormmon has suggested. However, based on the statistics I have gathered thus far, the spore will win in the long run. This would likely leave him with permanent brain damage, if not full body paralysis.

“Next is the option to simply do nothing and let him fight the spore on his own. Without any external influences putting stress on the spore and speeding up its process, it is a bit more likely that the master could be victorious. However, the odds of this working are still very low. The spore has been winning easily so far, with or without the encouragement of others. I doubt this trend will turn around.”

Daisuke’s head fell and he looked down at the floor. None of these answers had been what he wanted to hear. Even if they managed to prevent him from dying, he might still end up brain dead or something!

"You must understand," Andromon continued, seeming to notice Daisuke’s crestfallen expression. "If the spore were entirely disabled or working at normal efficiency, then the odds of a successful removal would be much higher. However, with it currently broken and working in a desperate self-defense mode, it is more likely to harm the master than normal."

"Well you had other ideas, right?" Daisuke looked back up and asked, hoping that maybe those terrible options had just been the ones at the bottom of the barrel or something.

Andromon nodded. “A virus could be injected into the spore with the purpose of reprogramming it. If successful, it could be shut down. However, as you are aware, the human mind can be affected by viruses in the Digital World. The possible side effects to the master’s health are limitless. His mind, body and personality would all be at risk. Additionally we could end up empowering or repairing the spore on accident. Suffice it to say, while this option has a slightly higher success rate, the odds are still very low and the extensive negative outcomes would not make it a good option.

“As for shocking the spore again…” Andromon trailed off for a moment, appearing to consider the idea carefully. “I have thought of it before. It is the option with the highest chance of success, though it is also the one that Wormmon disapproved of.”

Daisuke frowned. What could possibly be worse than the other horrible outcomes he’d already heard?

“There is a chance that the spore could resist the shock,” Andromon began. “In this case, the electrical current would instead be absorbed by the master's body. This could cause quite extensive damage to him, if not kill him immediately. However, if we are successful in hitting it then there is a good chance the spore would shut down fully."

"Really?!" Daisuke’s eyes shimmered with hope.

“However,” Andromon continued, and Daisuke felt his heart fall. “It is also possible that the spore could be given enough energy to fully power itself back up again rather than shut off. In that case it would repair the damage on its own, and then take total control over the master's mind again."

"So..." Daisuke trailed off as an ice cold realization struck him. "We shock him... and _if_ it hits the spore, we'll either turn it off and save him, or we’ll fix it and turn him back into _the Kaiser_?! And if we don’t even hit it at all then he _dies_?!"

"Essentially, yes." Andromon nodded at Daisuke’s explanation.

"Screw this!" Daisuke turned on his heel to leave the security room, refusing to accept any one of these stupid ‘ _solutions_.’ He’d figure it out on his own!

" _Daisuke_ ," Andromon's voice was not angry, though it did demand a great amount of attention. It was enough that Daisuke stopped just before leaving the room.

“I’m _not_ going to do something that could put him right back at square one!” Daisuke exclaimed as he turned back to face Andromon. “Or infecting his mind like the Bio Ring, or leaving him paralyzed, or just straight up _killing him_! There _has_ to be a better option somewhere!”

Andromon pointed at him. “You have chosen to remain within the base because you wish to help, but you do not seem capable of dealing with the stress that accompanies such a task. Perhaps you should leave while you still can. I believe the master has not rescinded his offer to release you."

Daisuke glared and clenched his fists. "I am _not_ going to abandon Ken just because _you_ can't figure out a good way to-!"

“There is only one other thing I can suggest to you,” Andromon cut him off again. “You could seek out the other Andromon that used to reside here. We worked together in the past, but he appears to have fallen under the corruptible influence of the Chosen. He was stationed out in the machine city, and has since abandoned the master. Regardless, he might be able to work out another solution."

Daisuke felt some of his anger fade, though he was still far from happy. Andromon wasn't a bad guy... He knew that deep down. He was just so emotionless about everything and nothing could be done to change that - he _was_ a robot.

Another Andromon though? He must mean the one that was friends with Hikari and the others. Daisuke had met him once in that large dome city out in a desert. He was probably still there.

"I'll go find him and work out a better plan," Daisuke asserted. "I won't accept these other options no matter what you say."

“Present this when you find him,” Andromon opened up a panel in his chest and pulled out two floppy disks - one white and one black. He held them out and Daisuke took them, placing them in his pocket. “The white disk contains all of the information on the spore,” Andromon explained. “He can analyze it and hopefully produce a new solution with better results than what I have come up with. The black disk will erase his memory banks of an hour prior. As an ally of the Chosen now, he cannot be trusted with such sensitive information. I suggest you use it."

"Yeah..." Daisuke trailed off awkwardly, not entirely sure about that second disk.

With nothing else left to say now, Daisuke left the room and shut the door behind him. This situation really sucked, but maybe there were better options with this other Andromon. Hopefully he could come up with something that would just help Ken and not endanger his life afterward.

But... Wait…

Daisuke slowed down and stopped, suddenly remembering that the other Andromon wasn't under the influence of a dark ring anymore. What reason would he have to help Daisuke with this? If anything it was more likely that he’d just refuse and hope that Ken drowned in his own misery! He didn't have the forced desire to serve Ken like the slaves did, and even if he learned the truth about the spore, he’d probably just decide that it was _statistically better to not care_ or some shit.

Damn it, how was he supposed to pull this off?! Daisuke suddenly felt a lot more stressed out. This was all so overwhelming. Ken had it far worse than he did, though...

Speaking of Ken, how was he? He’d apparently gone off to the control room to work some more. Daisuke felt so guilty… Ken clearly didn’t want to work as the Kaiser anymore, but now he was being forced to do so against his will. He’d probably always been forced, but before it had just been a subconscious urge.

Daisuke tensed up as he realized something else. This mission meant he’d have to leave Ken alone in the base while he went to find this other Andromon. Even if Wormmon was there, it might not be enough. What if something happened and Wormmon needed help?

Daisuke groaned into his hands. He took a deep breath afterward, but it did little to alleviate his frustration. He walked to the elevator and got in, pushing the button for the top floor again and making his way over to the control room. He wasn't going to be able to go find this other Andromon without Ken giving him at least an Airdramon to leave the base with or something. He wasn’t sure how he was going to ask for it without explaining why he needed it, but he’d have to figure something out.

As soon as Daisuke walked into the control room though, he was met with an empty space.

"Agh, _Ken_!" Daisuke groaned and stared up at the ceiling. Where the hell had he gone _now_?! "Hey!" Daisuke got the attention of the guards outside the room. "Where did Ken go?"

The two Gorimon pointed down the left hallway without a word, clearly not knowing anything more than that. Ken didn't often say anything when he left, and damn it, that hallway lead back towards the _fucking elevator_! So once again he could be _anywhere_ in the base!

Daisuke growled and stomped toward the infirmary, which was in the opposite direction as the elevator. Wormmon was going to stop staring at those damned X-Ray results and help him find Ken before he-!

A terrified scream echoed down the corridor from further beyond the infirmary. Daisuke recognized Ken’s voice and immediately started running. As he whipped around the corner, he realized that the scream must have come from Ken's bedroom. Neither of the guards were outside in the hallway, so they had probably gone in to try and help him.

Daisuke bolted into the bedroom and spotted Ken in a heap on the floor.

"Hey!" one of the two Gorimon exclaimed upon seeing him enter the room. "You aren't allowed in here!"

Daisuke ignored the guards and knelt down beside Ken, placing his hands on his shoulders gently. "Hey..." he said softly in hopes of calming the situation. "What’s happening?"

"Get him out of there!" Suddenly one of the Gorimon grabbed Daisuke around the waist and hoisted him up off the floor.

" _Hey_!" Daisuke shouted and kicked at the digimon's legs. "Put me down! I didn't even _do_ anything!"

"Shut up!" the Gorimon snapped and squeezed him hard, crushing his ribs. "You are not to be in here under any circumstances!"

Daisuke coughed and cringed from the pain. "Let go of me! I’m trying to help him!" Daisuke kicked harder and struggled viciously, going so far as to bite the Gorimon’s hand.

"Oh I'm _sure_ you are!" Gorimon rolled his eyes in disbelief and ignored the teeth digging into his skin.

"I _am_ trying to help him, damn it!" Daisuke shouted furiously, enraged at the accusation that he wasn't being truthful. He was already mad enough at Andromon as it was! This was just the last straw! “ _Fuck you_!” Daisuke clenched his eyes shut and grabbed the doorframe with both hands just as he was about to be fully removed from the room. “I’m _not lying_! Let- _FUCKING_ -go of me!”

"You’re going to the dungeons for-!"

"STOP!"

Ken's sudden shout caused everyone to freeze and look at him in unison. Daisuke still had his grip on the doorframe, and the Gorimon had yet to loosen its hold around him.

"Put him down... I want to talk to him alone..." Ken managed to stand up, though he was holding his stomach with his arms. Was he in pain?

“But he-!”

"What did I just _say_?!" Ken snapped at the Gorimon.

"Y-Yes, Master!" the Gorimon gasped and tossed Daisuke to the floor, causing him to stumble and fall onto his side. The guards left the room and slammed the door shut, their grumbling passing through the crack below the door.

An awkward silence filled the now-darkened bedroom, Daisuke still trying to calm down after how upset he'd just been. He needed to scream and that was all there was to it. Everything was starting to become too much to deal with!

Without asking for permission, Daisuke stood up and grabbed one of the pillows from Ken’s bed, shrieking at the top of his lungs into it. He drew it out for as long as he could, letting all of his pent up emotions drain out. As soon as he ran out of air he threw the pillow back down onto the bed and took in a long, deep breath.

He felt so much better!

"I-I'm sorry..." Daisuke finally turned to face Ken, who was watching him silently. "I just, uh... I was already really frustrated and all of that just now didn't help, and uh... I needed to vent before I punched a wall or... something."

Ken didn't say anything, but a smile crept up his cheeks. After another moment or two, he covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled quietly.

Daisuke laughed a bit himself, feeling a little embarrassed now. "Sorry..."

"You don't need to apologize," Ken shook his head. "When I get really mad I sometimes throw things. Actually…” Ken’s cheeks turned a bit red. “Back when I first made you stay in the dungeons, right after you left your room I threw your chair into the mirror because I was so upset with you."

"Really...?" Daisuke raised an eyebrow and then let out a surprised burst of laughter.

"Really…” Ken shrugged and laughed a bit as well. “So hey, at least you didn’t destroy anything."

"I guess so," Daisuke smiled, and the awkwardness immediately left the room. He took that moment to finally look around. It was similar to his own room, with the exception of it having its own bathroom. Ken also had a blue theme going on with his furniture and bed sheets, unlike Daisuke's mismatched room full of random colors and designs. However, what really caught Daisuke’s eye was the large picture of Osamu on the bedside table.

"I'm sorry if I worried you," Ken said and hung his head a bit. “I keep seeing things and they always try to kill me. They had knives this time...”

"Ken..." Daisuke sighed and pulled Ken over to the bed with him, both of them sitting down along the edge. "You don't need to apologize, I’d freak out about that too..."

“Well, it was my own fault,” Ken lamented. “I started thinking about things I shouldn’t have. I came here to rest so I could work some more later, and then I thought about just...” he trailed off for a long while, seeming to contemplate whether he wanted to finish his sentence. It took a bit, but eventually he managed to get the words out. “I thought about just ending it.”

For a split second Daisuke wasn’t sure what he’d meant, and then he understood. Immediately he gasped and knelt down in front of Ken.

“Listen to me!” Daisuke’s hands were shaking as he took Ken’s into his own. “I’m going to fix this, I have a plan! Don’t give up on me, _please_!”

“It’s alright…” Ken laughed morbidly. “The spore won’t let me do it anyway.”

Daisuke was quiet for a moment or two. At least that was _one_ good thing the spore had done for him... After a while he sat back down on the bed and tried to calm down a bit. The thought of Ken just wanting to kill himself had really shaken him. He just needed to go see that Andromon and take care of this situation as soon as possible, but it felt a lot harder to do now that he knew Ken had considered suicide. What if something happened while he was gone? He still had to do it, but...

“Hey, listen," Daisuke sighed eventually, not sure how else to ask his question. He was just no good at subtlety. "I'm gonna need an Airdramon so I can go somewhere soon, okay?"

"Wh-What?" Ken suddenly seemed very nervous and upset. "Where are you going? Why do you need to leave the base?"

Daisuke was confused by Ken’s reaction. "It's to try and handle that little... _problem_ we both know about." Daisuke let his eyes move over to Ken's neck in an attempt to hint without saying.

“But…” Ken's voice was quiet and weak, and his arms were shaking now. “But you'll come back, right?”

“Of course I’ll come back!” Daisuke immediately replied. “What’s gotten into you? You don’t still think I’d leave you like this, do you? I just need to go find someone, that’s all.”

"I... I can't..." Ken's voice shook as though on the verge of tears. "I don't think I can do this on my own. If you left and didn't come back... which I would _completely_ deserve... I just..."

"Why are you afraid I won't come back?" Daisuke asked sadly. "I wouldn’t lie to you, not anymore. Not after everything I’ve learned. I said I would stay until I finished with something first, and I'm sure you've figured out by now that I was talking about _helping you_ when I said that."

"But I've been so ungrateful to you!" Tears started to run down Ken's cheeks. "I've treated you like garbage, and I haven't given you even _half_ of what you've given me!" Ken covered his face with his hands, his voice coming out muffled. "I'm a disgusting monster! You don't deserve to be stuck here with me, s-so maybe you should just go and-!"

"Stop that!" Daisuke shook Ken’s shoulders in an attempt to snap him out of it. "None of that’s true and _you know it_! You're grateful now - that's all that matters! I don't need you to repay me or something! Just be yourself and help us rebuild the Digital World! That's more than enough. You're _not_ a monster, you're _not_ disgusting, and I'm _not_ stuck here. I _chose_ this!"

"I've killed thousands of innocent lives!" Ken's voice had reached hysterics. "Digimon… Th-They really are real, aren’t they?! I'm... I'm as bad as a serial killer!"

" _No you’re not_!" Daisuke hollered and shook his head. "Serial killers don't have spores in their necks, messing with their minds and literally _making_ them do things against their will! Do you think anyone else would have acted any differently in your shoes?! I’d have done the _exact same things_ if it had been me instead of you! This isn’t your fault!"

"It's my fault it got this far!" Ken's body seemed to get weaker and started to shake. "If I wasn't so weak and worthless, none of this would have happened. You should just rip it out of me and let me die. That would be better for every-"

“I can’t listen to you talk about this…” Daisuke’s arms shook from the effort it took to not just _smack_ Ken in the face for saying something like that. He felt tears in his own eyes now. “I will _not_ listen to you actually consider _suicide_! I care about you so much… I don’t even understand why! I just met you but I already feel closer to you than anyone else!”

Suddenly Ken's body swayed and it was only Daisuke wrenching him back into a hug that prevented him from falling off the bed entirely. The tension immediately drained from Ken’s body, and Daisuke clenched his eyes shut at the terrible mistake he’d just made.

"L-Let's watch something!" Daisuke changed the subject away from the spore as quickly as possible.

"Okay..." Ken agreed halfheartedly.

Daisuke reached over and grabbed the remote off the bedside table, turning the TV on and flipping through some of the saved movies. It was hard to decide on something to watch with so many other things on his mind, but he at least managed to find a comedy. He doubted either of them would laugh much, but it was worth a shot.

He lead Ken over to the middle of the bed with him and they leaned up against the headrest together. As the movie started though, Daisuke just couldn’t focus.

Ken didn't deserve to think so lowly of himself. Yes, he'd done some terrible things but he was sorry for them! He was _truly_ sorry! Why couldn't that be enough? Everyone deserved a second chance, didn't they? If Daisuke could give him one after the Bio Ring, then _no one_ had a right to turn him away!

It just wasn't fair… Daisuke could see Ken for who he really was, but Ken just saw a demon. Even if everyone was their own worst critic, Ken shouldn’t be taking on all of the blame when most of it was the spore's fault!

Daisuke was upset again, and right after he'd finally calmed down. He couldn't let it end like this! He _needed_ to get Ken to see what Daisuke could see, but he needed to get rid of that damned spore first!

Ken suddenly shivered, and it startled Daisuke. Ken seemed okay enough, but he was obviously still thinking about bad things. When a tear ran down his cheek a few seconds later, Daisuke just couldn't stay quiet anymore.

"I meant everything I said," Daisuke squeezed Ken’s hand. "I forgave you a long time ago for everything that's happened. I don't know when my feelings changed exactly, it all happened pretty fast. Everything that I've learned has shown me how good of a person you are though. You're kind and gentle, and you’re really fun to be around... I just wish you could see that too."

Ken hadn’t looked at him until he was done speaking, but when he did, he actually smiled. “Thank you, Daisuke…”

Ken shivered again and held the back of his neck with a cringe. Daisuke quickly turned the volume up and pulled Ken close. He ran his fingers gently through his hair and along his scalp, and Ken finally relaxed with a soft sigh. Doing that seemed to be a lot more effective than the movie was, so Daisuke grabbed the remote and just shut it off altogether.

Ken looked up at him and their gaze lingered. His eyes were red from crying, and Daisuke felt his heart ache from the sight. He leaned forward and pressed his lips softly against Ken’s eyelids. As soon as he pulled away, Ken looked down at his hands. Daisuke chuckled at the sight of Ken fiddling nervously with his thumbs.

“What?” Ken asked and looked back up at him.

"You're just..." Daisuke let his words fall out without thinking about them first. "You're just so cute sometimes... I kind of can't handle it..."

Ken blushed and he looked back down. Daisuke could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest. He really hadn’t intended to say that… It just kinda _came out_.

Daisuke adjusted himself so that he was laying down next to Ken, who immediately laid down as well. They cuddled up together with their legs intertwined, and one of Daisuke’s hands worked its way through Ken’s hair again. Maybe he could help him sleep or something.

The moment Ken’s hand touched his side, Daisuke felt butterflies in his chest. Ken was drawing light circles with his fingertips along his shirt, causing the skin beneath it to tingle. Daisuke found his hand trailing away from Ken’s head and down to his hip. As his hand moved, Ken shivered from the contact.

Daisuke let his fingers run up the bottom of Ken’s shirt so that he could rub his bare back. Ken let out a pleased sigh and nuzzled his head deeper into the crook of Daisuke’s neck.

Daisuke swallowed and tried to calm himself down. He felt urges that he’d never felt for another person before, not even Hikari. Something about it felt indecent when he put her in that position, but with Ken… He just wanted to feel more of him.

He struggled with his self control when Ken ran one of his hands up the bottom of Daisuke’s shirt now too. Ken’s fingers rested on the bare skin of his side, one of his fingertips tucking beneath the hem of his pants just a bit.

He shouldn’t… He really shouldn’t... They were trying to relax and calm down after everything that had just happened. But if it made Ken feel safe to be with him like this, then should he stop?

The moment Ken looked up at him and their eyes met, Daisuke felt his resolve crumble away. He leaned forward very slowly, enough to give Ken more than enough warning of what he was trying to do. Ken didn’t resist at all though. Daisuke’s heart skipped a beat as their lips ghosted against one another. There wasn’t enough contact to really feel it, but there was certainly more than enough to know how close they were. It was almost more intense that way.

Daisuke adjusted so that his upper body was hovering over Ken, and one of his shaky hands was back in his hair. The other moved to Ken’s hip and held him close, pressing their lips together fully.

Ken’s hands moved up to Daisuke’s hips. He seemed to clutch desperately at him, as though he was afraid that Daisuke might just get up and leave forever at any second. There was a pang of guilt in his chest as he eased his tongue into Ken’s mouth.

Ken released a shaky moan against his lips, and it made Daisuke’s head spin. He’d never felt like this before… Nothing even _remotely_ like this. Ken’s little sound had brought something out of Daisuke that he’d been trying to suppress for the sake of decency, but it was so difficult now…

Daisuke moved himself so that he was completely over top of Ken, both of his legs straddling the other boy’s hips and his forearms on either side of his head. He pressed his lips down harder against Ken’s, and his tongue roamed deeper. He released a deep groan, and Ken shivered beneath him. The reaction he’d received encouraged him. He pulled his lips back only for a moment to get some air before he pressed them back, his tongue never leaving the other boy’s mouth.

Something about this kiss was different from the previous ones. There had been too much regret and confusion before. This time though, Daisuke had no second thoughts about what he was doing.

Daisuke let himself lower down to get more comfortable, pressing their bodies against one another. Things were moving a lot faster now. Daisuke pushed Ken down against the mattress as their tongues twisted around each other. Ken’s hands were running beneath his shirt and clutching at the skin on his back. Daisuke could feel the other boy’s nails and fingers moving up and down along his body, and it was making his chest hot.

Ken pulled away suddenly. His eyes traveled downward to their laps, and when Daisuke realized what he was looking at, a blush exploded on his face. He cringed at the condition he’d ended up in and quickly turned his hips to the side. "I didn’t mean to… I'm sorry-"

Ken placed a finger over his mouth to shush him. His eyes held an emotion that Daisuke hadn’t seen in them before. He didn’t get to look at it for very long though, before Ken had shut them again and slipped his tongue back into Daisuke’s mouth.

Daisuke gasped but most certainly didn’t pull away. Instead he just let his eyes close too, and got back into it. Ken wrapped his arms around his neck, and Daisuke immediately gripped at his hair again. He was gentle so as not to tug too much, the soft strands twisting around his fingers feeling way too nice… He opened his fingers wide and held the other boy’s head with his palms, pressing deeply against his lips.

As Daisuke made a point of staying propped up above him, he felt incredibly lightheaded. He just wanted to lower back down so bad, but he was only getting more aroused as they did this. He realized somewhere in the back of his mind where his thoughts were still kind-of working, that no girl had ever turned him on this much before.

Hands ran up and down, sliding beneath shirts and over bare skin. Their tongues twisted and explored, and soft moans escaped their throats. Daisuke wanted to hear more, so he let his lips trail away from the other boy’s mouth. Ken released a disappointed moan, but it didn’t last long. He hissed with pleasure the moment Daisuke let his tongue slink down his neck. He bit gently and sucked on the skin, and Ken moaned much more loudly that time.

That was it for him, he was fully erect now. Suddenly Daisuke felt really embarrassed. Maybe if he was careful enough he could keep Ken from realizing how much harder he’d gotten...

Unfortunately Ken's legs adjusted, and Daisuke’s tired thighs buckled from the movement after having held himself up for so long. He slipped down onto Ken’s lap. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for their hips to press together for just a second, as well as his erection.

“S-Sorry!” Daisuke shook his head to try and get himself back under control, but it just wasn’t working. He was _way_ too turned on now. Shit, this was so humiliating...

"Dai..." Ken’s voice was soft but pleading.

Daisuke looked down at him, and suddenly he recognized the expression in his eyes. It mirrored the lust in his own, and before he could react Ken was pulling Daisuke’s hips firmly against him. Daisuke released a breath and shivered when he felt how aroused Ken was too.

“ _Please_ …” Ken whispered into his ear, and that was all Daisuke needed to hear.

Hands roamed beneath clothing and couldn’t keep still. Daisuke’s lips and tongue were all over Ken’s skin, sucking and biting a lot less gently now. He was so nervous… His heart was hammering in his chest. He really wasn’t sure what he was even doing anymore. Ken’s warm breath against his ear just felt so nice though...

“K-Ken…” Daisuke’s voice quivered as Ken thrust up against him, and a rocking motion started between them. It wasn’t enough… “F-Fucking clothes…” Daisuke cursed.

Suddenly Ken’s hands tugged upward at Daisuke’s shirt, and a few seconds later it was off and discarded onto the floor. Daisuke shivered with anticipation and did the same, throwing Ken’s top somewhere in the room as well. Their belts soon followed, and then their pants. It wasn’t long until they were both in just their boxers.

Daisuke pressed against Ken again, the contact on their members much more intense this time without so many layers between them. He could feel Ken so much easier now… And seeing Ken panting with need and staring up at him with lusty eyes… All of Daisuke’s doubts that maybe they should talk about this first were gone. He still didn’t actually know what to _do_ , though… Didn’t gay guys have anal sex or something?

Shit, he had _no idea_ how to do that! They probably needed lube or something, and he sure as hell didn’t have any! What else did two guys do together? Was that all they did? Damn it… Maybe they _should_ talk about it first…

Seeming to sense his dilemma, Ken reached up and pressed his hand against Daisuke’s erection. There was only a thin cloth between them, which was now quite damp with precum. His fingers slid down and moved up his thigh, beneath the cloth, and Daisuke hissed with pleasure as Ken’s hand gripped down on his bare length underneath.

Daisuke’s head swam as Ken moved his hand up and down, letting his thumb play with the head of his penis every time he went back up to the top.

With a new resolve, Daisuke pulled back and tugged off Ken’s boxers, throwing them onto the floor. His own followed just a moment later, and he suddenly realized they were naked. Like, completely naked... and turned on in front of each other...

Time seemed to stop as they stared at one another. Daisuke took in the sight of Ken with hungry eyes. His skin was so smooth and pale, and so easy to touch… He was gorgeous. Daisuke just wanted all of him to himself, and seeing Ken so aroused like this only made it better.

He’d never considered himself gay, and to be honest he still didn’t. If this weren’t Ken, he _definitely_ wouldn’t feel this way. He didn’t really care much for men, but _Ken_ … Somehow it was just different.

Daisuke moved Ken’s legs apart a bit more and lowered down again, gripping both of their members in his hand. He and Ken both sucked in a breath from the feeling. The wet skin of their erections were now flush together with his hand squeezing down to create pressure, and with that he began to stroke.

“F-Fuck…” Daisuke cringed with pleasure as he moved his hips into his own, Ken doing the same.

Breathing became panting, rocking turned into grinding, fingertips on skin turned to fingernails, and their gasps filled the room. Ken arched his chest up and moaned loudly, his hair splaying out and tangling all over the pillow. Daisuke let go of their members and used his hips to create pressure around them instead. The rocking got faster and Daisuke’s toes curled with need.

Ken lifted himself up onto his forearms. He pushed his erection harder against Daisuke's and the pressure around them got tighter. Their bodies gleamed with sweat and their abdomens were sticky with precum. The wetness made it easier to slide together, and the feeling intensified.

“D-Dai…!” Ken threw his head back and Daisuke used that opportunity to burrow his face into his neck. He released a feral growl against the skin and Ken quivered beneath him. He had every intention of leaving marks.

His hands were back in Ken’s hair, and this time he did tug a bit. Ken hissed and moaned, biting down on Daisuke’s earlobe. The weight of Daisuke’s body pressed him back down against the bed, though that didn’t stop Ken from sliding up against him all the same.

The mattress creaked quietly against the sturdy wooden bed frame as the two of them panted desperately. The sheets were pulled off at the corners and tangling up around their feet. The blanket had been discarded to the floor along with a few pillows and the television remote.

“Daisuke…!” Ken gasped loudly, his face flushed and hot. “I’m… I’m close…!”

Daisuke shivered after hearing Ken say something like that in his ear. It was almost too much to believe… Someone had actually said something _like that_ to him! Daisuke’s grip on Ken’s hair tightened unintentionally, and Ken’s nails dug down into his shoulder blades. It hurt a bit, but that kind of made it more exciting. Daisuke’s body was gleaming with sweat as he rocked down harder against him.

Suddenly Ken tightened up and came between them. Daisuke shuddered as the warm liquid spread over both of their stomachs. He wasn’t quite close enough to get off yet himself, but there was something so erotic about Ken making a mess all over the both of them…

“Sorry!” Ken covered his face with his hands and turned terribly red.

“What?” Daisuke laughed. “Don’t be sorry!”

He reached down and tickled Ken’s sides, loving the way the other boy gasped and squirmed beneath him. Daisuke continued his assault, pressing himself down against him as a way to both prevent him from escaping his fingertips, and also to feel his body some more.

Shit... Ken’s little yelps and all of his futile struggling was so hot… Daisuke bit down on Ken’s earlobe and hissed, running his hands along Ken’s sides.

Ken seemed to realize just how aroused Daisuke still was, so he pushed him back a bit and sat up. Daisuke shook his head to try and calm himself down. He leaned his back against the headrest. Well, he’d probably just have to go handle himself now… Otherwise he’d never be able to look at Ken again without attacking him or-

Daisuke gasped when Ken suddenly lowered his head down over his lap and flicked his tongue over the head of his erection. The mess of cum already on it streamed off his bottom lip as he pulled back. As soon as Ken saw it he blushed and wiped his mouth with a squeak.

Daisuke laughed and Ken followed suit. Their cheeks flushed as they giggled awkwardly, and they looked at each other with smiles on their faces. Their eyes lingered in the same way they had before, and soon enough Ken was moving back down.

With a sigh of pleasure, Daisuke leaned back against the headrest as Ken took the head of his erection into his mouth. He moved down slowly, seeming a bit nervous and unsure about what he was doing.

Ken got about halfway down the length and then came back up, letting it pop out of his mouth. “Sorry, I’m not very good at this… It’s hard to keep my teeth back...”

“Well…” Daisuke shrugged. “You’re already more experienced at it than me.”

Ken laughed for a moment, and then he grabbed it in his hand. He stroked up and down for a bit, Daisuke enjoying the friction greatly. His body was hypersensitive after everything they’d already done. Even if he’d managed to calm down a little bit, he still _really_ needed release.

Ken leaned down and twirled his tongue around the head of his penis. Daisuke moaned softly and grabbed the wrinkled up sheets by his sides. He bit his lip as Ken slid it back into his mouth, still not quite able to get all the way down the shaft, but he was getting closer every time he tried.

After pulling back for a moment to catch his breath, Ken used his hands on Daisuke’s length instead. Once his jaw had rested a bit though, he went back down. This time Ken managed to take all of it into his mouth.

Daisuke groaned when he felt Ken’s lips press against his pelvis. He reached up and twisted his hands into his hair. Ken pulled back and breathed for a moment before going back down just as far. Daisuke couldn’t help but grip tightly at the silky strands as he moved Ken’s head a bit...

Ken bobbed up and down in repetition now. He took it deep into his throat, his lips brushing along the skin at the base and then he pulled away for a moment to catch his breath. He moved his hands quickly as he panted for air and let his jaw relax.

Daisuke’s head was all fuzzy again as he started to get close. It wouldn’t have taken much honestly, but with how quickly Ken was figuring this all out he found himself actually having to hold back a bit.

“Wow…” Ken wiped his lips a bit. “It’s not as easy as porn stars makes it look…”

Daisuke laughed, but before he could say anything Ken had already started going again. Daisuke closed his eyes and growled, thrusting up into Ken’s mouth as he moved his head for him. Sweat ran down his tan skin as his grip tightened. Ken had started moving his hand up and down the length along with his mouth now.

Daisuke clenched his eyes shut as he got too close to resist it for much longer.

“K-Ken… I’m…” he moaned out a warning to the other boy. Ken only sped up in response and gripped the base of his shaft harder. Daisuke gasped and groaned, his firm grip on Ken’s hair tightening down even more. He lifted Ken’s head up and forced it back down, raising his pelvis up to deepen the contact.

Ken didn’t seem to need to come up for air anymore, having apparently found a better way to breathe. Daisuke moaned and whimpered with need as soon as Ken’s free hand moved to cup his balls. He rubbed them gently, running his hands over Daisuke’s thighs before returning to them.

As soon as Ken started twisting his tongue around the head of his erection every time he bobbed back up, it was finally too much. Daisuke pulled Ken’s head down all the way over him and gasped, coming hard into his mouth. At first his body tensed up, but then he shuddered and relaxed a bit. His erection pulsed between Ken’s tight lips as he finally released himself, Ken still creating pressure with his mouth.

With closed eyes, Daisuke panted and rode out the orgasm for a bit. Ken could have probably pulled back if he’d tried, but Daisuke suddenly realized that he was still holding him down… He let his hands drop to his sides from exhaustion, and also so that Ken could pull back if he wanted to.

Ken swallowed, eliciting a pleasured hiss from Daisuke at the feeling of his throat closing down around the head of his penis. Ken cringed for a moment, probably from the bitter taste, but then his expression evened out.

As Ken sat back up and wiped his mouth, Daisuke suddenly felt very… naked. And awkward. It wasn’t that he regretted what they had done, because that _definitely_ wasn’t the case. He just really didn’t know what to do or say now. What did people normally do after their first sexual experience?

Ken seemed to be contemplating the same thing, or at least Daisuke hoped he was. He really didn’t want any regret between them, but the way Ken started to cringe made his heart drop.

“You okay...?” Daisuke asked nervously.

“Sorry,” Ken blinked and seemed to come out of his thoughts. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Ken…” Daisuke trailed off sadly. “Are you upset that we did that? You don’t need to stay quiet about it... I should have asked before I just started-”

“No, no!” Ken shook his head and seemed flustered by the comment. “That’s not it! I’m just starting to get a headache now and I didn’t want to worry you. I…” his voice turned a bit sheepish and he blushed. “I liked it… a lot…”

Daisuke smiled and suddenly felt really happy.

“At first I thought…” Ken frowned for a moment before laughing and shaking his head. “It’s stupid…”

“What?” Daisuke asked and sat up straighter.

“When we first were naked I was afraid that maybe you’d change your mind,” Ken admitted with a sigh. “Like you’d see me and realize that I definitely wasn’t a girl or something.”

Daisuke raised an eyebrow and then laughed. “That’s like, the exact _opposite_ of what happened! I saw you and I couldn’t look away. I don’t really think I’d be into any other guys, though...” He thought back to his previous realization. “I’m not gay or bi, but I definitely like you a lot.”

“So you’re straight but you like me…?” Ken raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Daisuke just shrugged. “I dunno. I don't really know how to explain it, I just know it's true.”

At first Ken smiled, but his grin turned into a smirk a few moments later. “Well at a time like that, I'm surprised you were able to use any of your brain _at all_.”

Daisuke blinked for a moment, and then he pounced. Ken squeaked as he was flattened onto his back with Daisuke over top of him, tickling his sides mercilessly. Ken gasped and struggled, and while it was still just as hot as it was before, not being so turned on anymore helped take the edge off.

He propped himself up and grinned down at Ken, who had been turned into a giggling mess beneath him. This was Ken, he was sure of it… A Ken without manufactured hate or violence, and a Ken without guilt or depression. He was cute and kind, but also sly and playful. Ken was perfect.

Daisuke leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips, effectively causing his laughter to cease. Ken sighed into him, and they shared a moment together. After pulling away, Daisuke smiled softly and moved Ken’s hair behind his ears so that it was out of his face. Ken was blushing beneath him and Daisuke loved it… He loved all of this so much.

“We should clean up…” Ken looked down at their messy bodies. Daisuke chuckled and rolled off the bed. He pulled Ken to his feet and lead them both into the bathroom to scrub away the remnants of their activities.

As soon as they finished showering together and had gotten dressed again, Ken went over to change his thoroughly used bed sheets. The new ones were red and silky, which Daisuke was immediately in love with. He was definitely gonna start sleeping in here from now on!

As Daisuke fussed about with the pillows, he almost didn’t notice the way Ken hissed and cringed. “You okay...?” Daisuke frowned as he walked over to him.

“Just that headache still,” Ken rubbed his temples, Daisuke putting a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. “It’s been getting gradually worse…” Ken admitted.

Daisuke felt sick all of a sudden. “How bad is it now?” _Don’t be the spore… Just don’t be the spore..._

Ken seemed a bit worried at first, but then he shook his head. “Not too bad. I haven’t had much to eat in the last couple days though, so it’s probably just-” Ken cut himself off suddenly with a pained hiss. He whimpered and pressed down on his temples.

“Ken!” Daisuke gasped and held him around the shoulders, leading him over to the bed where he could sit down. He looked him over, and to Daisuke’s dismay he noticed how much paler Ken had suddenly become. His skin was ice cold and clammy, and it definitely hadn’t been like that just a few moments ago. “Hey, stay with me!” Daisuke was starting to get scared.

“I-I’m okay… I just...” Ken seemed to be having trouble speaking. “It really throbs...”

Halfway in a panic, Daisuke scooted Ken onto the bed so that he was lying down and then pulled the blanket up over him. He ran into the bathroom and opened up the medicine cabinet, digging around for some pain killers or something. He managed to find some Ibuprofen thankfully, so he shook out a few tablets and filled up a glass of water. He quickly ran back out to where Ken was.

“Here…” Daisuke was shaking a bit himself as he held everything out to him. However, his breath caught in his throat when Ken didn’t move to take the offered medicine. “Ken?!”

Daisuke set everything down on the bedside table and suddenly found it really hard to breathe. Right as he was about to go into hysterics, Ken sighed quietly and turned his head a bit. Daisuke released a massive sigh of relief and held his chest, his knees buckling and dropping down to the floor. He wiped the tears out of his eyes and tried to calm down.

He’d only fallen asleep, he was okay… Everything was okay…


	17. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

Daisuke poked his pancakes with a fork, not feeling hungry enough to eat them anymore. It was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything, and having so little to do in the base wasn’t helping. He was just too worried to be productive.

Ken hadn’t woken up in two days now. It was possible that he was just exhausted or something, but the likelihood of the spore being the cause was enough to keep Daisuke on edge. At first he’d been offended and upset, having thought Ken to be avoiding him right after they’d had sex. But when he stopped by the infirmary earlier to talk to Wormmon, he’d instead found Ken lying in one of the beds. Apparently the guards had taken him there.

Daisuke glared down at his food. Why did every Gorimon he met have to be such an _asshole_?! They’d kicked him out of the infirmary almost immediately and told him to come back after they were done with their examination. Wormmon had agreed to let him in after that though, not wanting to add any more bodies to the already packed infirmary if it wasn't necessary. Daisuke had grudgingly gone to make himself some food while he waited.

He knew he should probably just leave and go find that other Andromon instead of wasting time like this, but he was afraid that Ken might panic if he woke up and Daisuke wasn’t there. He just wanted one more chance to assure Ken that he’d come back before he started his mission, but it was taking a lot more time than he’d expected.

Daisuke gave up on the pancakes and just put them in the fridge for someone else to eat instead. It had been an hour now… Maybe they’d finally let him in?

Various digimon scurried about and bumped into his legs as Daisuke left the kitchen. Their eyes were furrowed with concern and their pace was quicker than normal. Daisuke kept a close eye on their movements, and his chest immediately turned ice cold when he found them to be coming in and out of the infirmary. Had something happened?!

Tripping over some of the smaller digimon in the process, Daisuke quickly closed the distance to his destination. The angry curses that were thrown at him were ignored as he whipped into the infirmary and froze in the doorway.

Ken’s body was quivering as he struggled to take in air. His skin was paler than ever and was coated in a clammy sweat. With tightly shut eyes, Ken gripped at the blue blanket that the medics couldn’t seem to get him to stop throwing off. There were multiple puncture wounds on the inside of his elbow where an IV might have gone, but with the way he was struggling around so much, Daisuke wasn’t surprised to find nothing there.

As soon as three Gorimon started trying to hold Ken down, Daisuke ran over to them.

“No, don’t do that!” Daisuke shoved one of the Gorimon away, only managing to do so because it hadn’t been expecting him.

“Dumb human!” one of the other Gorimon growled as it grabbed Daisuke by the shoulders and threw him to the floor. “Don’t tell us what to do!”

“He’s having a nightmare!” Daisuke shouted and got back up to his feet with a furious glare. “You’ll just make it worse if you restrain him!”

“Please listen to Daisuke,” Wormmon spoke softly from the other side of the room, his voice shaky and hitching a bit. “He knows a lot more about Ken’s condition.”

All of the Gorimon grumbled and clenched their fists, but they stepped away nonetheless. Daisuke rushed over to Ken and sat down in the chair beside his bed. With one hand he laced their fingers together, and with the other he gently rubbed the top of Ken’s head.

“Shhh…” Daisuke whispered soothingly. “It’s okay, Ken… It’s just a dream… I’m right here...”

Daisuke’s heart sank at first when Ken merely whimpered in response, but the way his grip tightened around Daisuke’s hand gave him some hope that maybe he’d been heard.

“I’ve seen something like this happen while he was awake,” Wormmon spoke so quietly that he was barely audible. “He had visions I think. Has it happened in his sleep before?”

Daisuke shook his head, “I don’t know…”

“It’s happening more often now…” Wormmon trailed off, sounding a lot more concerned. “We’ve tried _everything_ to wake him up but he just won't. I don’t know what's wrong… Do you know if something set off the spore?”

Daisuke closed his eyes and his entire body deflated. He rested his head down against the side of the mattress and folded his arms beneath his forehead. This was because of what they’d done… He knew it without a shred of a doubt. He’d been so happy at first. He loved Ken so much and everything had happened so fast. He’d just gotten so caught up in the moment, and...

This was all his fault. He’d initiated everything. Even if Ken had encouraged it, he should have _known_ how much danger it would put him in. He hadn’t thought about any of the possible consequences until afterward. How could he have let this happen?!

Daisuke couldn’t hold back the choked sob that escaped his throat. He sucked in a breath of air and managed to stop himself from continuing to cry, but the guilt in his heart was pushing against him.

“Daisuke?” Wormmon asked a bit louder that time. “What happened?”

He wanted to lie so badly. He just wanted to say that he had no idea what was going on, or how Ken had suddenly gotten so much worse. If any other digimon in the entire base had asked him about it he probably would have, but...

“We…” Daisuke struggled to keep his words level. “We…”

“Everyone out!” Wormmon ordered at the rest of the digimon in the infirmary, seeming to catch on to Daisuke's internal struggles. The rest of the medical staff looked at one another for a moment or two, but soon enough they obeyed the order.

The room was silent with only the three of them inside it now. Daisuke considered how he was going to answer the question. He was willing to bet that if V-Mon didn’t really understand what sex or kissing was, then Wormmon wouldn’t either.

“We…” Daisuke trailed off again and took a deep breath, which at least helped his voice relax a bit. “He and I did something that humans do to show that they really love each other. This isn’t a good time to try and explain it, but it’s a physical thing. I shouldn’t have let it happen...” Daisuke put his hands over his face and rubbed the tears away. “But I’m so fucking _stupid_ and I…” His shoulders shook and his words shivered as they came out, “I just… I just wanted him to know that I love him…”

“Daisuke…” was all Wormmon said before the room grew silent again.

Daisuke shook his head and breathed in slowly, desperate to not cry around Ken. That surely wouldn’t make his dream any better.

He needed to fix this. He _needed_ to go find that other Andromon right away - there wasn’t any more time! As much as he wanted someone else to do it so he could stay with Ken, he was the only one with any real chance of persuading Andromon to help. Daisuke was friends with Taichi and Hikari, and he was a Chosen. Everyone else in the base would just be seen as enemies.

“Ken…” Daisuke held Ken’s hand again. He closed his eyes and tried his best to sound encouraging. “Everything will be okay. I’ll be right back. I’ll come back as _soon as I possibly can_ , I promise. I’m not leaving you.”

Daisuke wasn’t sure how he felt when Ken didn’t react to his words in the slightest. All he could hope for was that Ken had finally started sleeping more soundly.

After standing up as quietly as he could and setting Ken’s hand back down on the mattress, Daisuke motioned for Wormmon to follow him. They made their way out into the hallway and he shut the infirmary door with a gentle click.

“Wormmon, I need an Airdramon right now,” Daisuke explained quietly. “Andromon and I have a plan, but there’s no more time to wait.”

********************

Hikari fiddled with the blue D3 unconsciously, her attention more focused on the computer screen in front of her than on the device in her hand. It was Daisuke’s digivice that she held, her own still clipped to her backpack and resting at her feet. V-Mon had left it with her while she searched for Daisuke some more.

Something had been bothering her for a while now... Why had Wormmon given his D-3 back to them? V-Mon didn’t seem to know why either, and it wasn’t like she could ask Wormmon herself. She’d have to find the base to do that, which was what they’d already been trying to do. Where could Ken have gone to now? The Digital World was so large, it almost felt hopeless…

The others seemed convinced that Daisuke was still being controlled by Ken. It wasn't like they didn't have good reasons to think that, but Hikari just had a gut feeling that V-Mon had been right about him. There had to be a reason for him to insist so strongly that Daisuke had been himself.

Even more confusing had been V-Mon’s question about human kissing and love. It had seemed so random at first, but something in his eyes had given her some insight. If Ken and Daisuke had kissed, then she could only pray that Daisuke really was in his own state of mind, and that it hadn’t been something Ken had forced upon him.

Learning about all of this had only driven her to search even harder. If Ken was sexually manipulating Daisuke… Just the thought made her sick.

"Hikari?"

Hikari jumped a bit in her chair at the sudden voice, Takeru entering the school's computer room quietly. He seemed worried, but she already knew why.

"I'm sorry," she sighed and hung her head a bit. "I know I don't normally skip class like this, but I just couldn’t ignore the feeling I got."

"Feeling?" Takeru frowned. "About what?"

Hikari glanced back at the computer, catching the brooding expression on her own face in the monitor's reflection. She wasn't angry, she just didn’t know how to convey herself to him this time. They were normally on the same page about everything, but Takeru believed that there wasn't enough information yet to believe that Daisuke wasn’t being controlled anymore. He was probably right, it was the more logical way to look at it, but...

“I just need to do this,” Hikari looked him in the eyes finally, her expression pleading. “I can't focus on classes at all. I already spent the first part of the day just staring at the clock and thinking about what could be happening to Daisuke. For some reason I feel like if I look for him right now, I might actually find something. I know Koushiro is already searching, but I feel like it needs to be me for some reason.”

She laughed and shook her head. "It makes no sense, I know… It's irresponsible of me to ignore my schoolwork when someone else who knows a lot more about the Digital World is already looking for him. I just need to try though… Maybe if I know I really _tried_ , and I didn’t ignore my gut feeling, then I could focus on classes again later."

Yeah, none of that made sense at all. Takeru would probably just tell her to calm down and get back to class before she-

"Alright," Takeru said with a nod and a smile.

Hikari stared at him for a moment, almost certain that she’d misheard. However, when his smile didn’t fade, she found herself smiling back as well. “Thank you, Takeru.”

"Your instincts are rarely wrong, so if this is important enough for you to skip class over, then I believe you," Takeru explained as he leaned against the doorframe. “You don’t always trust yourself enough.”

Hikari couldn’t deny the truth in his words. She did have a tendency to doubt herself - even now she was worried that she was just overreacting and looking into things too much.

"I'll do my best," Hikari turned back toward the computer screen and continued to search for any new activities from Ken.

“I'm glad you're alright,” Takeru continued. “I've seen you do some amazing things when you just trusted yourself. Anyway… I really need to get to class now, but text me if you need anything, okay?”

Hikari looked over her shoulder and gave him one last smile before he left the room. Overpowering her low self esteem had never been an easy task for her, and Takeru knew that very well. She would try for his sake though.

Unfortunately as she started scanning back over the map of the Digital World again she found her encouragement slipping a bit. She was searching randomly over a map that only showed whether an area was under Ken's control or not, with the hope that somehow one would just _happen_ to change color while she was looking at-

Hikari gasped and stood up when a single black square turned white, her chair scooting back loudly. One of Ken’s controlled areas was just released! Who was out knocking down towers, though? Everyone should have been in school except for Mimi, who was probably asleep in America. Had someone else skipped classes too?

Wait… What if Daisuke had escaped the base somehow and _he_ had been the one to do it? Maybe he was in a fight of some kind and V-Mon wasn't there to help him! It was possible, right? It wasn't likely, but it _could_ be... _It could be_!

She needed to get the others! She needed to-!

But wait... If he was in danger then there wouldn't be enough time to wait for everyone to gather up their things and go together, he’d need help _now_! If he was being attacked and they waited too long, then he could get really hurt!

All of her thinking was wasting too much time!

Hikari snatched her D3 off her backpack, shoved Daisuke's into her pocket, and woke up Tailmon who had been asleep in the corner of the room. She could message the others on Nefertimon while they were flying, but she had to act now! The ones who were willing to leave class could catch up with her easily enough since she had the coordinates.

As her body was converted into data and sucked through the computer screen, it occurred to her that had Takeru not come in and interrupted her progress, she would have long ago left that area and never seen the square blink out in the first place.

After briefly explaining what was going on, Hikari evolved Tailmon into Nefertimon and they took off toward the newly freed area. However, as soon as they landed beside the shattered dark tower, Hikari’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. There were no signs of Daisuke or Ken anywhere, nor were there any indications of whether or not they had even been the ones to do this. All she could see was the edge of a thick forest and a destroyed tower lying in the sand of the desert just outside of it.

"What now, Hikari?" Nefertimon asked from behind her.

"I don't know..." Hikari admitted sadly. "I checked the map but no other towers have fallen. Whoever did this could have gone anywhere..."

"We could always-" Nefertimon began but stopped suddenly and looked around. "I hear something."

Hikari glanced back at her partner and listened carefully. At first she only heard the wind as it glided by, but eventually the rustling of bushes mingled in with it. Before she could find the source of the new sound though, Nefertimon had already degenerated back down into Tailmon and took off toward the tree line.

"NO!" an unfamiliar voice shrieked a few seconds later, Hikari panting as she ran to catch up.

"Calm down!" Tailmon called out.

As soon as Hikari reached a patch of bushes just inside the forest, she realized that it was a Punimon her partner was speaking to. Tailmon knelt down beside the wide-eyed, shaking digimon and patted its head. "Relax, I won't hurt you."

"I… I thought you were one of the Kaiser's slaves..." Punimon still shook a bit, but it seemed to calm down at the sight of Hikari.

"His slaves did this?" Hikari quickly asked.

"Yeah," the Punimon said as it looked up at her. "There was a big swarm of them and they shot down the dark tower. I don't know why they would do that though… There was a human with them, but I couldn’t see if it was the Kaiser or not."

"Where did they go?" Hikari’s heart skipped a bit. Surely this had been Daisuke, right? It would make a lot more sense for him to have escaped with some of the slaves than for Ken to have attacked his own tower!

"They went toward Andromon’s city," the punimon nodded toward the southern area of the desert.

"Thank you so much!" Hikari smiled and reached down to hug Punimon. After setting it back down on the ground, she stood up and felt excitement coursing through her. “Will you be okay here?”

“Yeah,” the Punimon said with a nod and returned the smile. “My village is nearby.”

Hikari looked down at Tailmon and they both nodded. She evolved her partner back to Nefertimon and climbed up onto her back. She didn't know exactly who she was following yet, but she wouldn't give up until she found out. She’d be sure to message the others as soon as they were back in the air.

********************

Daisuke shielded his face from the sun’s brilliant rays as his air squad reached Andromon’s city. Wormmon had insisted he bring backup with him just in case something happened, so he’d taken the strongest fliers with him. While he didn’t expect to need them, he figured it was better to just assume the worst.

Since his plan was to go into the city alone at first, Wormmon had also given him a keychain with a black emergency signal on it. The device would call the air squad to its location by using a tracking program, where they could then defend him as needed.

Leaving the base had been one of the most difficult things he’d ever done. He prayed that Ken wouldn’t wake up while he was out and think that he’d been abandoned, but just in case he’d given his goggles to Wormmon. It was the only thing that might prove he wasn’t leaving Ken behind.

Hopefully if Ken _did_ wake up he’d still be himself and not the Kaiser. Otherwise Daisuke was probably going to get a lot of shit for destroying that dark tower along the way… He couldn't help himself. It had just been sitting there with virtually no guards. All it took were a few blasts and down it went - all the digimon in the area freed.

Daisuke looked out at the dome city off in the distance. The Guardromon weren’t about to let his squad of enslaved digimon enter, so they’d need to hide somewhere nearby. He’d walk up to the city on foot and try to go inside, and if any of the guards attacked him then he’d call for backup.

"Land as close to the doors as you can," Daisuke commanded. "Stay out of sight though, don't get too close."

The slaves nodded and flew down to ground level, hiding behind the closest sandy hills that they could find, which thankfully weren’t too far away from the city. With a deep breath for reassurance, Daisuke walked out from behind one of the hills and made his way toward the town. His nerves increased as he got closer, his chest having tightened up by the time he reached the doors.

As Daisuke made his way inside as quietly as he could, he found everything to be just as he remembered it. The Guardromon were bustling about and fixing things around the city. The only thing he wasn’t sure about was where exactly Andromon would be. The town was massive. There was no way he’d just happen to run into him somewhere.

Daisuke ran up to the nearest Guardromon and smiled. "Hey!" he said in a friendly voice to hopefully keep himself on good terms. "It’s Daisuke! I helped free you guys from the Kaiser, remember?"

The Guardromon looked down at him for a moment. "Yes, I recall now. You are Motomiya Daisuke."

"Yeah!" Daisuke smiled and released a nervous breath. "Do you know where I can find Andromon at? I kinda need his help."

The Guardromon turned and pointed to the largest tower right in the middle of the city. "Andromon should be inside that tower."

"Thanks!" Daisuke bowed and took off for the center of town. As he made his way through the concrete streets, he couldn’t help wondering what other sorts of digimon lived there. All over the city there were tall buildings and bustling streets, and yet he only ever saw Guardromon. Maybe that’s really all there was?

Sooner than expected, Daisuke was standing before the largest building. He looked up as it towered over him menacingly with its steel, windowless walls, and with a deep breath he began walking up the massive staircase outside. Once he reached the top he pushed open the front doors and made his way inside.

Immediately upon walking in he noticed the two elevators directly in front of him and the spiraling staircase off to the right. However, his eyes quickly drifted over to the twenty or so Guardromon that were lining the walls, as well as the two that were standing on either side of the doorway next to him. For a split second he was nervous and wanted to back away, but he summoned up his courage as best he could.

"Hey," Daisuke turned to face one of the doorway guards. "Where can I find Andromon?"

"In the basement," replied the guard as it pointed toward the elevators. "You will not be able to get down there without clearance, though. You are Motomiya Daisuke, is that correct?"

“Yeah, I'm Daisuke,” he said and quickly put his hands up. “Look, I just need to see Andromon for like, a couple seconds and then I’ll-”

"Clearance accepted," the Guardromon cut him off and began walking over to the lifts. Daisuke blinked as he watched it punch various numbers into a dial pad between the two elevators. There was a loud beep, and one of the doors opened up.

"You may proceed," the Guardromon motioned toward the elevator. “Press _B_ for the basement.”

"Thanks," Daisuke nodded and quickly ran into the elevator before the doors shut. His heart rate increased as he passed by the guard. Had none of them heard about him attacking the other Chosen? He supposed it was for the better if that were the case, though he was honestly a bit surprised. He'd seen less important news spread around the Digital World quicker.

The lift descended and soon enough the doors split open into a dim, artificially lit room. It was quite large and circular in shape, with tons of computers and strange machinery lining the walls. The ceiling was much higher than necessary, and there were no chairs inside. It had an uncomfortable resemblance to the control room back in the base, actually.

Andromon was working at the various computers in the far back corner. As soon as Daisuke entered, he quickly pressed a button on the nearest keyboard.

"Motomiya Daisuke," Andromon's voice was just as emotionless as the other one back in the base, though that didn't surprise him. What did surprise him, however, was the thick sheet of metal that suddenly slid down from the ceiling in the doorway and cut off his escape route.

Daisuke’s hand reflexively shot into his pocket and clutched at the emergency button. He was very nervous now and didn't know what to do. Had he messed up? He’d never been the best with grace or tact… Had he accidentally given away his affiliation with the Kaiser's slaves somehow?

Damn it, he couldn't afford to get captured! Being delivered to the Chosen was ironically _not_ what he wanted right now!

"Why have you come here?" Andromon asked and looked him straight in the eye. "Did you think I would not know of your Bio Ring?"

Daisuke stiffened up and sucked in a hiss of air. He’d been afraid of this, but with the way the Guardromon had reacted to his entrance he thought maybe they hadn’t heard about all that. He’d done a lot of terrible things under the Bio Ring’s influence, so it had felt really strange for them to trust him. Had they all been acting, or was it just Andromon who knew?

"I saw you enter the city on the security cameras," Andromon spoke up at Daisuke’s silence. "At first I was going to have you arrested and delivered to the Chosen, but I did not see the Bio Ring on your neck. You smiled at the guards, thus displaying emotions that the ring should have suppressed in you. Even now you have more emotions than the ring would allow. I have been controlled before myself, so I know this subject very well."

As Andromon walked toward him, Daisuke backed up a bit reflexively. "You might not be able to notice the difference between an Andromon under that kind of control and one that is not, as we are always logical. Nevertheless, we are not the same.” Andromon stopped walking just as he reached the center of the room. "You asked the guards for help in finding me. Have you come here as an enemy or an ally?"

“I'm not an enemy,” Daisuke answered quickly.

"Then what is your purpose here?" As Andromon began walking toward him again, Daisuke quickly pulled out the emergency button from his pocket and held it up.

"Get back!" Daisuke demanded, making sure to keep his voice from sounding as nervous as he felt. "If I push this, a large squad of Ken's slaves will come to protect me. I don't want to hurt anyone or destroying anything, but that'll probably happen if they come into the city."

"Your actions do not persuade me to trust you," Andromon stated.

“I know…” Daisuke sighed. “But I can’t let you capture me or send me back to the others right now. I need your help or a good person might die. Andromon, _please_ …” Daisuke had no shame in resorting to begging if that’s what it took. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

"Who is dying?"

Daisuke clenched up at the question, unable to answer immediately. Unfortunately his reservation seemed to speak his mind for him.

"I will do nothing to protect or help the Kaiser," Andromon shook his head.

"But it's not his fault!" Daisuke took a desperate step forward. "You said you understand the rings, right?! Well he has something just like that in his neck and it’s making him do things! It’s evil! Ken finally managed to get control over it and he’s been trying to be himself, so now the spore is trying to _kill him_ instead!”

Daisuke took a deep breath to try and get his emotions under control. “You said you could tell I’m not controlled by the Bio Ring. Well that’s _only_ because of Ken! He took it off me himself! Andromon, he’s a good person… Please give him a chance to show you that!”

"I believe fully that you are not controlled," Andromon nodded. "You have only made that more clear to me now. However, that does not prove that what you say is true. Ken is manipulative and a liar. He is most likely tricking you into-"

"There’s another Andromon in the base!" Daisuke cut him off. "He's been inspecting the spore in his neck for a while now." He pulled the white floppy disk out of his pocket and held it out. "He made this for you. It has all the information about the spore."

"He is a slave of the Kaiser." Andromon shook his head. "This information cannot be trust-"

"Damn it!" Daisuke clenched his fists and his finger got dangerously close to pressing the emergency button. " You haven't even _looked_ at it!"

Daisuke took in deep breaths to try and calm himself down. He couldn't do it like this. Andromon would never look at the disk if he just yelled at him. He needed to prove that he wasn't lying or being coerced. Threats and demands only showed that he was on Ken's side. There was only one way he was going to get the robot to trust him. It was a huge gamble, but it was his only chance now.

"Andromon," he said as he let the emergency button slip from his hand and clatter to the floor. He kicked it away and over to Andromon, who stared down at the device in surprise.

"I have nothing now," Daisuke's voice shook from his own lack of confidence, and he prayed that he hadn’t just made a huge mistake. "I have no way to defend myself. I can’t stop you from just capturing me or giving me to the others, I can’t force you to do anything or threaten you... All I can do is beg."

Daisuke dropped to his knees and lowered his head down to the floor, bowing as politely as he possibly could. "Please, _please_ just look at it."

Andromon was silent. Daisuke couldn’t see him anymore, so he could be doing anything really. Being completely at his mercy like this made his arms shiver and his eyes clench shut. This could be it… If Andromon still didn't believe him, then it would be up to Wormmon and the other Andromon to save Ken. Even in that case though, maybe he could somehow convince the other Chosen to-

"You would surrender yourself for the Kaiser’s benefit?" Andromon asked, finally breaking the silence. “You are completely at my disposal now. There is a very large chance that you will be given back to the Chosen now, and that your mission will fail.”

“I know,” Daisuke didn’t move as he spoke. “But I _need_ you to see that information. That’s the most important thing! So I have to take that chance.”

“Then I will look at it.”

"Y-You will?!" Daisuke gasped and stood back up at Andromon’s answer, his heart racing in his chest now. "Seriously?!"

"I am always serious," Andromon replied and held a hand out, Daisuke placing the disk into it. After that he walked over to a small machine on the other side of the room and slid the disk inside. "I am checking for harmful programming on the disk before I read it. I cannot trust any files from anyone inside the base without initial inspection."

“That’s fine!” Daisuke smiled and almost felt like laughing. He almost couldn’t believe that he’d managed to convince someone as stubborn as an Andromon to do something they didn’t want to do!

After no time at all, Andromon was pulling the disk out of the machine. A slot opened up on his chest for the disk to fit into. "The inspection came out clear," Andromon informed him and then slid the disk inside his body. His arms lowered down to his sides after that and he stood still.

Daisuke waited with baited breath, every second feeling like an hour as time passed by. It was so hard to be patient at a time like this… Everything came down to this. But Andromon would surely find a better solution somehow!

After a while Andromon reached up and removed the disk, handing it back to Daisuke. Andromon was quiet for a long while, seeming to contemplate the data thoroughly.

"I have read the information," Andromon finally spoke. "What is it you wish for me to do? The other Andromon seems to have compiled a list of solutions to your issue already."

“I need _better_ solutions!” Daisuke exclaimed. “The ones on the disk are horrible! You saw them all, right? None of them are likely to work with all the horrible side effects that-”

"They are all logical," Andromon cut him off.

Daisuke glared and clenched his fists in anger. "I _know_ they’re _logical_ , but I can't accept them! Ken could get electrocuted or go brain dead or something!"

Andromon shook his head, “Everything that could be done to handle the defective spore, all of their possible outcomes, and all of the procedures in doing them, have already been calculated on that disk. As I’m sure you have already been informed, the option of sending an electric shock to the spore is your highest chance of success. This is not about opinions, Daisuke. Every other option has an even worse chance of success, so I doubt you are interested in hearing about them."

Daisuke dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hands. A terrible grief was pooling up in his chest as tears threatened to fall down his face. It couldn’t be true… It just _couldn’t_ be! After coming all the way here and putting himself in danger, all Andromon had to say was that he already knew everything?! That he had no choice but to risk Ken's life?!

No… No way, this couldn’t be right… There had to be something else! There _had_ to be! He wouldn't just accept this and walk away! Maybe he could think of something on his own. The Andromon were robots, so they surely had the same mentality about this sort of thing. He needed to find a different perspective somehow.

But before that he needed to find a way out of there. He’d given up his emergency caller for nothing apparently, so he’d either have to get it back or find another escape route. Andromon _might_ just let him leave, but he wasn’t going to rely on that.

"You are distressed," Andromon stated. "It is illogical to become emotionally compromised over the Kaiser. He has killed countless innocent lives, and he continues to-"

“ _Don’t_ talk about Ken!” Daisuke seethed and shook his head furiously. “You haven’t seen him like I have, so you can’t possibly understand what he’s going through! He's a Chosen Child, he's supposed to be fighting with us but that _fucking_ spore ruined everything! I’ll find a way to fix this without your help!"

"There is one thing I can do for you." Andromon walked over to one of the machines at the far end of the room and began pulling out various parts. Daisuke watched silently as he started to build something with the bits and pieces that he found, though he had no idea what it might be.

As soon as Andromon finished his creation he held it up for Daisuke to see. It looked like another emergency button… It was just a long piece of black plastic with a big button on the top. There were a couple of small, metallic nubs at one end though.

“If the shock method is used as recommended, then this device will increase your chances of success,” Andromon explained. “Touch the metal bits to the back of Ken’s neck where the spore is located, and then press the button. It will send out a strong electrical current, and with the assistance from the metal parts it is now guaranteed to hit the spore.”

Daisuke calmed down and stood up as he stared at the device. “So… So it’ll definitely work now?”

“It will not accidentally hit Ken’s body and electrocute him to death, if that is your question,” Andromon replied. “It removes that outcome, though it does not change the matter of what could happen once the spore is shocked. It could deactivate or reactivate, and the odds of both are around fifty percent.”

Daisuke didn’t know how he felt. On the one hand he wanted to cheer and hug Andromon for at least eliminating the chance that Ken could simply die outright. But at the same time, there was still only a fifty percent chance that Ken would come out himself… If the spore was reactivated, how would he save Ken then? He’d only had this chance because it was broken! With the spore working correctly was there even anything that could be done for him?

"Now," Andromon said as he closed his hand around the device that he had just made. After that he reached down and picked up the emergency caller in the same grasp. "I must take you to the Chosen."

"What?!" Daisuke gasped. "But... But you just helped me! You found a better way! I need to take that device back to Ken so I can-!"

"The air squad you have waiting outside the city will more than suffice to deliver it to the base. The other Andromon will understand how to use it easily enough. I cannot allow you to continue being enslaved by the Kaiser though."

"Ken’s not holding me there!" Daisuke's voice cracked with desperation. "He even tried to let me go but I chose to stay on my own! I can leave whenever I want, the offer’s always there! Andromon listen to me... I’m not enslaved!"

“Your best interests do not lie in the base,” Andromon said with a shake of his head. “I am sorry Daisuke, but this is for your own good.”

Andromon suddenly lunged forward and his hand wrapped firmly around Daisuke’s wrist before he could even try to escape. Daisuke kicked and yanked against the hold, though it was immediately obvious that he was fighting a hopeless battle.

After pulling him over to the nearest control panel, Andromon began rapidly pressing buttons. A map of the Digital World came up, and one of the Digital Gates was highlighted after he zoomed in on their current area. Andromon was alerting the Chosen! Damn it, no! He couldn’t afford to get caught here!

Suddenly Daisuke remembered the memory erasing disk that he had in his pocket. For a moment he hesitated, not wanting to have to use it like this. It had been painful enough when his own mind had been tampered with against his will, and he really didn’t want to do it to someone else… But there really weren’t any other options. Andromon didn’t understand the situation enough, and if Daisuke got caught then Ken would suffer even more!

Daisuke quickly reached into his pocket with his free arm and pulled out the black disk, shoving it into the same slot on Andromon’s chest as where the information disk had gone.

Andromon gasped and shuddered, releasing Daisuke’s arm in response. Daisuke backed away as the robot's eyes rolled to the back of his head and spasms shot up his body. Both the electrical device that he’d just made and Daisuke’s emergency signal fell to the floor with a loud clatter. Small sparks flashed from inside his chest and Daisuke turned away, covering his face with his arms.

A few seconds later the room went silent, Daisuke slowly lowering his arms and glancing nervously over at the robot. Andromon was standing perfectly still with his shoulders slumped and his head hanging down. His eyes were open, but they were completely unfocused.

With a small curse under his breath, Daisuke quickly picked the devices up off the floor and stuffed them into his pocket. He considered removing the disk from Andromon’s chest for a moment, but he quickly changed his mind. Taking it out could wake him up, but just leaving it there could cause damage... Should he tell one of the Guardromon to remove it as he left, perhaps? But… No, that would just tip them off that something was wrong.

Damn it, he didn’t have time for this!

Daisuke ran over to the control panel and began pressing random buttons until the metal door slid back up into the ceiling. He just needed to leave now and act like nothing happened. He could… He could tell the city guards that Andromon had demanded to see them personally as he was leaving. That shouldn’t seem too suspicious, and by the time they discovered the condition he was in Daisuke would already be gone!

There, _whatever_ , it was good enough!

Daisuke turned back toward the door and was about to start running, but he found himself stopping dead in his tracks a few seconds later. His blood ran cold as a figure walked in through the doorway with their eyes locked onto him.

"H-Hikari..." Daisuke trailed off and took a few steps back.

Daisuke bit his lip and tried to think of what to do now, but the expression on her face caused his determination to waver. On the one hand she looked overjoyed to see him, while on the other she seemed on the verge of tears. It was too difficult to look her in the eye, and his gaze immediately shifted down to the floor.

Hikari…

All the painful memories of almost killing her came rushing back and he felt sick to his stomach. Even if it hadn’t really been his fault, it still hurt so much to know that he’d done that to her and Taichi. All of the others had suffered, but there was no denying that the Yagamis had gotten the worst of it. He just wanted to curl into a ball and vanish…

Something about being with her in person caused Daisuke to realize just how much his feelings for her had changed in the time he’d been in the base. Normally when he saw her he wanted to hug and kiss her, especially when she looked so sad, but in that moment he just didn’t feel that way. He still loved her just as much, he was certain of that, but the strangely platonic emotions in his heart was disorienting.

Did he… Did he not love her anymore?

Suddenly Daisuke felt very confused. He knew that he loved Ken, but somehow it hadn’t really occurred to him what that might mean for him and Hikari. They were going to fall in love and get married one day, and…! But… She hadn’t really crossed his mind very much lately...

Well he knew one thing at least. He would still do anything she asked, and that feeling was exactly why he found his body frozen in place. What she would surely ask of him here would not be something he could do - he could _not_ return with her to the others.

At first Hikari had seemed to want to run forward and hug him, until her eyes moved over to Andromon’s frozen form. Where her eyes had once held happiness and hope, they were now overcome with sadness and fear. She rushed over to the robot’s side and placed a hand on his arm. She shook him a bit, but when Andromon didn’t move or respond, she whipped around to face Daisuke.

Immediately he wilted and he looked back down at his feet again, the shame in his heart burning him from the inside out.

“Why?” Hikari’s demand was simple, and yet it contained enough force to turn Daisuke’s stomach. “You did something to Andromon, didn’t you? What have you done to him? You can’t even look at me, _why_?!”

Daisuke backed away as she approached him again. Hikari’s voice sounded more grief stricken now, “You’d think someone who just spent months in captivity would rush to a friend’s side, but you’re backing away from me! And Andromon!” - There were tears in her eyes as she pointed over at the robot - “Why would you hurt him?!”

Daisuke’s back hit the wall, Hikari just a few feet away from him as a tear ran down her cheek. “ _Answer me, Daisuke_! What did you do to my friend?! Why won’t you answer?!” Suddenly her expression darkened. “Ken… He really is controlling you still. I thought V-Mon was right about you being free now, but that can’t be true if you would-”

"No!" Daisuke finally found his nerve and he shook his head vigorously. He hated upsetting her so much… " _No_ , Hikari, I’m not a slave anymore! This was my own choice! Ken tried to get me to leave the base but I refused!"

"A lingering influence of the Bio Ring, then?" Hikari clenched her fists and her eyes narrowed dangerously. He’d never seen her like this before...

"Hikari, _listen to me_!" Daisuke clutched the emergency caller in his pocket tightly, fearing what might happen if he couldn’t get her to believe him. He didn’t want to have them come here and possibly hurt her again!

“Can't you tell that it's me right now?” Daisuke pleaded. “I swear I didn’t hurt Andromon, he’s just asleep. He’ll be fine, but I couldn’t let him take me back to you guys yet! If I don't do something to protect Ken, then he could _die_ , Hikari! He’s really sick and he needs me! No one else will be there for him if I don’t go back to the base! I…” Daisuke felt tears in his eyes now as he struggled to find a way to prove himself. “I don’t know how to convince you that I’m-!”

Daisuke froze as Hikari suddenly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Her shoulders shook as she held onto him and her warm tears soaked into the collar of his shirt. He let go of the emergency button in his pocket and hugged her back with a sigh.

"It really is you..." Hikari's words were muffled through his shirt, but he’d heard her all the same.

“Hikari…” Daisuke finally let his guard drop a bit. “I’m so glad you’re okay… I had no idea how hurt you might have been after what I did...” His grip around her tightened and he choked up a bit. “I’m so sorry… I never meant to… I just...”

“It’s okay, it wasn’t your fault,” Hikari said and shook her head. “Taichi’s okay too. Everyone is okay.”

The room was quiet for a while as they held each other, and Daisuke was surprised to find himself completely comfortable. He didn’t feel awkward or like he needed to show off, or any desire to do anything more than just hold her like this. It felt surreal… It was like a massive weight on his shoulders had been lifted, but why? Had Ken really changed his feelings for her this much?

He really didn't want to think about it… None of that mattered right now. She was okay… She and Taichi were okay… He felt so much relief that he could just spin her around in circles if not for how exhausted he was.

“Andromon should be fine,” Daisuke finally said after a while and pulled back. “I just kinda rebooted him, I guess you could say. As soon as you pull the disk out of his chest he should wake back up. He won’t remember anything from the last hour, but that’s it. I _promise_ I didn’t hurt him.”

Hikari pulled away and wiped her eyes, looking back over at Andromon. "V-Mon said that you chose to stay with Ken on your own, but I was the only one who believed him. I think it’ll make him happy to know he was right. The others won’t buy it, but that’s alright."

Daisuke smiled, happy to see her looking less sad now. Upsetting Hikari never felt good, no matter what the reason was.

“I want you to know something,” Daisuke said a moment later. “Ken was the one who took the Bio Ring off me. He regretted it so much that he couldn’t stand it anymore and broke it himself. I’m not asking you to forgive him yet...” Daisuke put his hands on her shoulders. “But _please_ be willing to see that there’s a good person in him.”

Hikari looked at him as though she was searching for answers. “I believe that you think that, but...” she trailed off. “I just can’t tell how true it is yet. Ken could have told you anything.”

“He didn’t tell me that stuff,” Daisuke said with a shake of his head. “Wormmon did. There’s just not enough time to explain this all to you. Just trust me.”

"Come back with me," Hikari pleaded, her eyes lighting up. "You can tell Koushiro whatever it is you’ve learned and I’m sure he could-"

"No," Daisuke cut her off before she could finish her explanation.

"But why?!" Hikari sounded desperate, and hearing her like that made Daisuke cringe. He didn't want to hurt her anymore than he already had.

“Surely someone else in the base can help him!” Hikari continued. “Wormmon could, right? Or any of his hundreds of slaves, or... or _someone_! You don't deserve to be his prisoner and deal with all of this, all by yourself! Haven’t you been hurt enough?"

"I’m sorry..." he trailed off and found it hard to get the words out. "The slaves can't help Ken the way I can. It needs to be me, Wormmon said it was _me_ who he finally responded to. Besides, I promised Ken that I would come back, and if I don’t then he’ll probably have a break down. That promise means a lot to him, and it means a lot more to me than-"

"More than your own freedom?"

"Yes," Daisuke answered her question immediately and without hesitation. His freedom wasn’t important. He would have it again someday, but he _and_ Ken would have it together, not just him - not as long as he could still do something to help. He knew it probably broke her heart to hear it, but there was no way to soften the blow.

Hikari took a step back and her expression turned sad again. Daisuke stood his ground even if it was hard not to just give in and do whatever she wanted. He was so used to always following along with Hikari no matter what… Refusing to do so was foreign and new, but it was also refreshing in a strange sort of way.

“Daisuke…” Hikari clutched at her D3. “I can’t just let you go back there!”

Hearing her words caused his hand to reach back into his pocket where his emergency caller was, and to finally press the button down. She hadn’t said it directly, but the implication that she might just force him to go with her had not been lost on him. “Everyone misses you,” Hikari continued. “Your parents, the others... They all need to see that you're okay! We can help Ken together, but I won’t let you be his prisoner anymore, Daisuke!”

"You can tell them for me." Daisuke smiled and glanced up at the security screen. Hikari’s back was to it so she couldn’t see it, but he could. The air squad had burst in through the city doors and were making their way over to him.

"You really won't come with me?" Hikari seemed more desperate than ever now. "How can you expect me to just let you go back there when I know you could be really hurt?!"

“I don’t expect you to let me, Hikari,” Daisuke sighed as a loud crash echoed down the elevator shaft and into the small room they were in. Hikari gasped as the doors burst open and many Airdramon came inside, having apparently destroyed the lift to get it out of their way. The elevator was in a pile of rubble by the doorway now.

In a flash of pink light, Hikari held up her D3 and evolved Tailmon to Nefertimon.

“I’m really sorry, Hikari,” Daisuke gave her a look of genuine sorrow as he climbed on top of one of the Airdramon. The sounds of battle was filtering down into the room from above, the rest of his air squad surely fighting with the Guardromon up above. Daisuke felt bad as he got ready to take off. All he could do was hope that Hikari would believe him. In an effort to convince her of his honesty, he gave her the brightest smile that he could manage. “Trust me, Hikari! Just trust me while I’m gone!”

"Daisuke, wait!" Hikari gasped and looked around, seeming to realize how outnumbered she and Nefertimon were. "I can’t stop you..." her words trailed off sadly. “If you just won’t listen then at least take this with you!”

Daisuke gasped and quickly threw his arms up to catch the object she’d tossed to him. He felt his smile come back tenfold when he looked down at his hands and found his D3 lying in his fingers. Now that he knew V-Mon had been found by the others, it was nice to have it back. It was turned off so the other Chosen wouldn’t be able to find him until he reactivated it, which he could now do whenever he was ready to go back home.

“Thank you!” He smiled down at her as he placed it carefully into the pocket of his jacket.

“Daisuke…” Hikari sighed and looked over at the elevator. “At least promise that you’ll turn it on so we can find you if Ken tries to hurt you again.”

Daisuke nodded, “I promise!” He supposed that he could at least compromise on that, if nothing else.

Before it was too late and she changed her mind or something, Daisuke quickly turned the Airdramon around and prepared to leave the room. If they hurried they could probably make it out of the city without too much fighting or-

“Daisuke, did you kiss him?”

He froze at Hikari’s question, clenching down on the Airdramon’s reins. He didn’t answer right away and he probably didn’t need to - she was perceptive enough to read his face. He knew his eyes were surely giving everything away.

“I’ll be back!” Daisuke met her gaze for just a second, and her expression confirmed his suspicions. She seemed surprised and very confused, but there just wasn’t enough time to explain that situation to her. Maybe someday they could talk about it and he could work out his own confusing feelings for her, but not right now.

With that, Daisuke tapped his heel against the Airdramon’s side and it used it’s snake-like body to slink over to the elevator shaft. With the help of its wings, it managed to climb its way up and back out into the lobby area of the building where he’d first come in. Sure enough, the room was filled with Unimon and Airdramon, all of which were locked in battle with the Guardromon that had once been lined up against the walls.

Alarms echoed loudly throughout the city streets as Daisuke and his Airdramon burst out of the building and took to the skies. A spray of missiles sped past them, but with far more important matters to attend to, they simply avoided them and headed straight for the base as fast as they could.


	18. Fading

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm

The base was unusually quiet as Daisuke made his way toward the infirmary. Before he’d left, there had been quite a commotion around the base because of Ken’s condition, but now everything was calm. Had something happened? Hopefully it was just that Ken was awake now and everyone had finally relaxed.

As soon as he reached his destination he found the door to have been left slightly ajar, two Gorimon guards standing on either side of the entryway. He pushed it open and walked past them into the room, immediately saddened to find that Ken was still unconscious. His skin was even paler than before, but he was at least breathing normally. Daisuke wasn’t sure if this was better or worse, but when he noticed his goggles clutched tightly in Ken’s hand at his side, he couldn’t help but smile.

“He was crying and calling out for you in his sleep,” Wormmon whispered from the chair next to his bed. “I told him you promised to come back, but it didn’t really help until I gave him your goggles. After that he’s been sleeping more soundly.”

“Is he okay?” Daisuke whispered back and walked over to the other side of the bed. He held Ken’s empty hand with one of his own, and the other went to run gently over his head. He felt bad for how long it had taken him to get back, but at least the goggles had helped. He just wished he had more to show for it...

"He's very out of it," Wormmon replied nervously. "He mumbles incoherently a lot, but at least he’s breathing easier. A while ago I cleared out all of the other slaves in case they were stressing him out. How did it go with Andromon?"

“Well,” Daisuke said with a sigh. “I wanted to come back with the perfect solution, but…” he trailed off and looked sadly down at Ken. “The best I could do was this.”

Daisuke held out the device that Andromon had made for him, letting Wormmon take it.

“It’ll ensure that we hit the spore at least, but it could still reactivate it,” Daisuke squeezed Ken’s hand with both of his. “That’s all the other Andromon could do for us. He almost gave me back over to the others…” Daisuke scowled. “Hikari showed up, but thankfully I had the air squad you gave me. Thanks for that, Wormmon.”

“Yeah…” Wormmon’s reply came out sadly, clearly still affected by the bad news. “I suppose this is good, but… I had just hoped for more.”

“Me too…” Daisuke pulled his hands away and let them rest on the mattress beside Ken’s hip. The room fell into silence quickly after that. The beeping from the medical equipment was at least no longer erratic or sounding out alarms as they were before. If Daisuke didn’t know any better, he’d almost think everything was okay.

There was a quiet creek as someone pushed the door open and walked inside with them, Daisuke turning to find Andromon standing in the doorway.

“I heard your report,” Andromon stated, having clearly been listening in through the crack in the door. “We should use that device right away.”

Daisuke closed his eyes and turned his head back down. He felt tears building up behind his eyelids, one threatening to run down his cheek as soon as he’d opened them back up and blinked.

“Not yet,” Daisuke shook his head. “I want to talk to him first.”

“His condition worsens with every second that passes.” Andromon walked further into the room. “It is illogical to wait.”

“Ken deserves to know what his options are!” Daisuke turned to glare at Andromon, desperation starting to cloud his judgment. “Shocking the spore is the _last resort_! I’m not just gonna use it before it’s even reached the point where we have to! Maybe we could think of something else still, or-”

“Daisuke,” Andromon stopped at the foot of Ken’s bed. “I do not believe you understand how little time the master has. He is dying. He will not last much longer, most certainly not long enough to come up with other solutions. We either remove the spore from his body or we shock it, and we should choose one right now before he passes away in his sleep.”

“He’s not dead yet,” Daisuke said with a growl, though in the back of his mind he knew that Andromon was probably right. “Just back off. No one touches him but me. I’m the only one who’s going to use that device or take the spore out.”

“You do not have the proper knowledge of how to remove the spore from his-”

“Then I guess we won’t be doing that, will we?!” Daisuke shouted over Andromon, and then turned to look back down at Ken. His hands were shaking as he tried to hold onto Ken’s again. A cold fear crept into his chest and spread out over his body. The time was approaching… It wouldn’t be much longer before a decision would have to be made.

"Don't get so upset at Andromon, Daisuke," Wormmon’s antennas drooped as he spoke up from the chair on the other side of Ken’s bed. "I know how hard this is, but we need his help. He's the only one who really understands-”

Before Wormmon could finish, a quiet whimper filled the room. All eyes moved down to Ken who was cringing in his sleep. He was gasping raggedly for breath like before, and his arm was shivering in Daisuke’s hands.

Daisuke immediately felt guilty. Had their arguing upset him?

Ken gripped down on the blanket around him and a tear ran down his cheek. His head shook from side to side as he suffered from some sort of nightmare, his hair sticking to the sides of his sweaty face. One of his arms reached out in some kind of haze, though the way it shivered made it clear that it was taking all of his strength just to lift it up off the bed.

Daisuke quickly reached out and grabbed the hand before Ken hurt himself. It didn't seem to help though, because he immediately whimpered again as he placed the arm back down on the mattress.

“It’s okay,” Daisuke said with a shaky voice. Ken seemed to say something back, but his voice was so quiet and muffled that he couldn’t make it out. Was he awake or dreaming still? To his dismay, it seemed more likely to be the latter with the way his entire body shuddered suddenly.

Daisuke could hear his goggles rattling around in Ken’s other hand, so he reached over to try and take them. He was met with quite a bit of resistance though, Ken clutching them tightly as soon as they began to slip from his grasp.

“No!” Ken cried out and shook his head again. He wrenched the goggles away from Daisuke and hugged them against his chest.

“It’s alright!” Daisuke gasped and made no more attempts to take the goggles away from him. “They’re yours, it’s fine.”

"Is this not enough proof?" Andromon spoke up suddenly. "He is so ill now that he cannot even move properly. These are very severe signs."

Daisuke had to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from shouting. It was so hard to keep his mind clear enough to act rationally… “I know that, I’m not _stupid_ like you clearly think I am.”

“I need to know which option you have chosen,” Andromon demanded. “Will I be removing the spore and taking the chance of the master being electrocuted to death? Or will I be shocking the spore and taking the chance of it reactivating?”

“I’m not ready yet!” Daisuke seethed but tried to keep his voice down. “I’ll tell you when I’m-!”

"Andromon..." Ken's voice floated up to them, though it was very weak. His eyes opened a bit, but his breathing didn’t seem to have improved in the slightest. "I want you... to remove the spore."

“What?!” Daisuke gasped and grabbed at Ken’s shoulders. Before he could get anymore words out though, Ken lifted up his hand and covered Daisuke’s mouth so that he couldn’t speak anymore. Daisuke looked down at him desperately.

“Daisuke…” Ken pleaded and removed his hand. “Don't get in the way.”

“Ken, just listen…!” Daisuke started but turned to look over at Andromon as he made his way around the bed and over to where Daisuke was standing. “Ken, listen! At least let us shock the spore instead! It’s more likely to succeed and there’s no chance you’ll die if we do that!”

Andromon helped Ken sit up and began removing the needles, plugs and wires that had all been hooked up to his body.

"Andromon wait!" Daisuke grabbed the robot’s arm, nearly hyperventilating in desperation. "Just use the shocker instead! You said yourself that it had a better chance of working! You want to save him, don’t you?!"

“Master has given me a direct order,” Andromon ignored him and continued with his work. “Regardless of my personal opinions, I cannot ignore it.”

“Daisuke…” Ken cringed as he was sat up against the headrest of the bed. “I can’t… I can’t be the Kaiser again. I would rather die. At least this way… I’ll either be free… or it’ll finally be over.”

The strength in Daisuke’s legs gave out and his knees hit the floor. He burrowed his face into his arms on the mattress, unable to hold back his emotions anymore. His heart was clenching painfully as he sobbed into his sleeves. The hardest part was that he could understand how Ken felt.

Ken couldn’t stand to continue living as a tyrant with no free will. If Daisuke were in his position, he knew he would feel the exact same way. He wouldn’t want to have someone shock the spore and chance everything going back to the way it was before when they could just ensure that it didn’t happen. He knew that… He _knew_ that... But it was so much easier to think about it when it was just himself, and not when it was someone else that he cared about.

This had always been a hard subject for the other Chosen. Sometimes there wasn’t an easy, idealistic answer to a problem, no matter how hard they tried to find one. Someone had to make the tough decision at times. That’s why he’d been chosen, wasn't it? Maybe it wasn’t the only reason, but it had to count for something. What right did he have to make Ken do something that he didn’t want to do? No one had the right to decide this for him.

There were no good answers this time. There were no magical solutions, there was no hidden road to the happy ending… There were only two awful choices with little chance of happiness in either case, and Ken had just said which one he preferred.

So why was he still resisting?

“Ken-chan, this is insane!” Wormmon exclaimed as Andromon walked over to the sink and began sanitizing the various tools he would need in order to remove the spore.

“Wormmon…” Ken responded softly. “It’ll be okay.”

“It won’t be!” Wormmon started crying now too. “Ken-chan, please let us use the device that Daisuke brought back! You won’t die that way!”

“No,” Ken shook his head as Daisuke finally stood back up and wiped his eyes. Ken looked up at him with a sad smile and then back over at Wormmon. “I’m sorry... I know this isn’t… what you wanted. But I won’t... become the Kaiser again. Guards!”

The Gorimon from outside came into the room and rushed over to the bed as Ken gave them orders. “Hold them back!”

“Ken, wait!” Daisuke wrenched against the Gorimon’s grip on his arms as he was pulled away, the other one picking up a struggling Wormmon. They were immediately forced over to the far side of the infirmary.

Andromon returned with his tools and set them down on the bedside table. He helped Ken turn to the side so that his back was to the robot now. Ken leaned forward so that his hair fell down and away from his face, Andromon parting the strands at his neck. With the skin exposed, Daisuke could now see the menacing red glow of the spore beneath his skin.

“Master, hold very still,” Andromon warned as he rubbed some kind of cream around the area of the spore. “This should completely numb your skin. You will not feel any pain other than what the spore itself inflicts.”

“I understand,” Ken replied, though the fear in his voice was easy to pick up on.

“Don’t do this!” Wormmon cried out and fought against the Gorimon’s hold. “You could kill him!”

“Death is not yet a guaranteed outcome,” Andromon responded simply. “Master, are you ready?”

"Yes," Ken said with a nod and a cringe.

Daisuke held his breath and Wormmon looked away as the knife in Andromon’s hand came up to press against the back of Ken’s neck. However, as soon as it punctured the skin his body started shaking violently. Electricity webbed out from the spot where the spore was and spread out to his limbs.

Ken gasped and pulled his knees up to his chest, screaming into them. As Andromon quickly pulled the knife away and took a few steps back, Daisuke felt his heart stop in his chest at the sight. The shocks weren’t stopping! They would kill him at this rate!

“No!” Daisuke shrieked and began struggling against the Gorimon again, his worst fear now playing out in front of him. Wormmon tried to get free of their grasp as well, but it was becoming more and more apparent that it wasn’t possible for them to get away no matter how hard they tried.

Suddenly the spasms stopped and the electricity disappeared. Ken slumped over and landed on his side on the bed.

“Ken-chan?!” Wormmon gasped, and the guards finally let up. Both he and Daisuke ran over to the bed, Daisuke climbing up onto the mattress and pulling Ken’s head into his lap.

“Ken?” Daisuke’s voice shivered as he held the back of Ken’s neck with his hands and put pressure on the bleeding wound. The spore started heating up again though, and Daisuke immediately began to panic. “Don’t hurt him anymore! We’re done now, _we’re done_! You win!”

His words seemed to work - the heat faded away and Ken stirred a bit. Daisuke released a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and let his forehead rest against Ken’s chest as he tried to calm down. He still couldn’t get his own breathing to come out normally though, or his arms to stop shaking. On top of that it was getting harder and harder not to throw up.

Ken had almost died… He could have lost him forever… He… Damn it, he needed to calm down...

Daisuke continued to hold the wound tightly until Andromon came over with a bandage and placed it over the skin. Daisuke helped lead Ken’s head back over to the pillow as gently as possible. His palms were coated in blood as he pulled them away, but he didn’t care enough to do more than wipe them off on the sheets.

“Is he okay?!” Wormmon asked hysterically from the foot of the bed as he fidgeted uncontrollably.

“He is alive, based on his vitals,” Andromon answered calmly from the medical station nearby. “However, all of his readings are at their lowest point yet. He should wake up one more time, but I believe that will be the last. The spore drained everything from the master in that attack.”

Daisuke suddenly found it hard to breathe as he clutched his chest. It was a battle to get each breath into his lungs, as if he’d had the wind knocked out of him. His mind swirled with conflicting thoughts and emotions.

This was what Ken had wanted… He said he’d rather die than take any chance of the spore being repaired. It was Daisuke’s job to accept the decision that Ken had made regarding his own fate! But…

He couldn’t do it. Daisuke just _couldn’t do it_. No matter how hard he tried to respect Ken’s request and keep his emotions out of the decision, the image of Ken lying dead on the bed overcame him. Ken wouldn’t make it if they tried to take the spore out again, that much was for certain now.

“Fuck it!” Daisuke exclaimed suddenly and yanked the shocker out of his pocket before anyone could try and stop him. He pulled Ken up into a sitting position and held his head against his chest. In that moment Daisuke found his resolve. He could-!

Ken’s hand suddenly shot up and grabbed Daisuke’s wrist. Daisuke froze and his chest tightened up as his arm was lowered down to the mattress, the shocker still clutched tightly in his hand. He could easily overpower Ken’s weak grip if he tried hard enough, but somehow he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“Daisuke…” Ken pulled back and looked up at him with heavy eyes. His fatigue was plain to see, both physically and mentally. Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes. “I won’t… be evil… again.” Ken turned to look over at Andromon, every few words seeming to drain his lungs of air. “Remove the spore.”

“Get back!” Daisuke clenched his fists and prepared to fight the robot no matter what his odds of failure were. To his great surprise, however, Andromon did not move.

“Master, I cannot,” Andromon said with a shake of his head. “I cannot disobey you, but I also cannot do something that is guaranteed to end your life. Since I must choose between the two, I am forced to disobey in order to protect you. My apologies, Master."

Daisuke was confused to find a small smile spreading over Ken’s face.

“I suppose I did… program the ring that way… didn’t I?” Ken chuckled for a moment and then looked back over at Andromon. “In that case… if Daisuke uses the shocker… then I’m ordering you… to immediately remove him… from the base. Don’t let him return… under any circumstances.”

“What?!” Daisuke gasped and yanked his arm away from Ken’s grasp. “No!”

“Understood,” Andromon nodded.

Daisuke shook his head furiously, “Take back that order! You need me here, Ken! I’m the only one who can help you and you _know_ that! If you remove me then how am I supposed to save you if the spore reactivates again?!”

“I’ve hurt you… enough.” Ken slumped forward and leaned against Daisuke’s chest, the effort to stay upright clearly too much for him now. “No more.”

"You won't hurt me!" Daisuke pleaded desperately. "I can get through it again! I'll just do all the same things I did before! Tell Andromon to let me stay here, _please,_ Ken!"

“No,” Ken’s voice was firm even through his weakness. “Those things only worked… because the spore was broken. The Kaiser… will do worse things to you… than anything I’ve done so far. I won’t allow it.”

“ _No!_ ” Daisuke finally broke. Sobs burst from his chest as he held onto Ken and buried his face into the crook of his neck. “Ken… please…” he tried to speak between shivering gasps of breath as his tears soaked into Ken’s shirt. “I… I can do it!”

“Defeat me, Daisuke.” Ken seemed to be on the verge of tears himself now. “Fight with your friends. Don't tell them… about the spore... or they'll hold back. Stay strong… and resolute. Bring me down. Maybe that… will finally shut it off."

“I don’t want to!” Daisuke clutched at the shocker in his hand. “I don’t want to fight you anymore!”

“You have… no choice.” Ken turned his head and faced Andromon again. “You heard my order. Have an Airdramon carry him away… so he can’t find us again. After this is over… if I ask you questions about what happened… just act like you don't know.”

“Yes, Master,” Andromon replied with another nod.

Daisuke didn’t have the strength to speak anymore. He tried to take deep breaths in order to calm down instead, but all he was managing to do was make himself choke.

Wormmon finally spoke up, his voice as meek as Ken’s and barely audible over Daisuke’s sobs. “Do you really think defeating you will deactivate the spore?”

“I think so,” Ken turned his head again, this time over to Wormmon. “Just show me... that digimon are real again. That was what I... always refused to confront... the most. With the spore working normally... I should be able to overpower it... on my own. But Wormmon… you have to be ruthless too. Don’t be soft just… just because it’s me… or I’ll never wake up."

“Ken-chan…” Wormmon sniffled and sank down against the mattress, his antennas lying lifeless against his head.

Daisuke continued shaking his head in refusal. He was still unable to muster up the strength to speak. This whole situation felt surreal. It was more like a bad dream than anything else. It couldn’t be real… It just couldn’t be! He would wake up next to Ken back in his bedroom and everything would be fine!

Ken’s body felt so solid in his arms though, and no matter how desperately he wanted to convince himself of all that, he knew it wasn’t true. But he couldn't just leave Ken like this! Daisuke wouldn’t even know what became of him if he was immediately kicked out of the base! He would rather deal with the Kaiser every day but at least know what was going on!

“Wormmon...” Ken reached over and pat his partner on the head. “I love you. I’m sorry… for whatever I might do. Destroy the Bio Ring files… before I wake back up… and all of the security feed… from the time that Daisuke was here.”

Ken wrapped his arms around Daisuke’s lower back and nuzzled his head against the side of his swollen cheek. “I love you too, Daisuke. If I wake up as myself… I’ll come find you… I promise-” Ken’s body suddenly went limp.

Daisuke gasped in horror as he was forced to pull Ken firmly up against him to keep him from falling over. Ken’s skin was completely void of color now and was growing colder every second. His breathing had finally stopped, and Daisuke couldn’t feel the other boy’s heart beating against him anymore.

“ _Ken!_ ” Daisuke shrieked as he held onto him. His arms were shivering violently and he could barely breathe again. Unable to contain his grief anymore, he covered his face with his hands and screamed into them. The shocker fell to the mattress and landed by his knee.

He had failed. There was no other way to put it. He’d failed the most important person to him in every way. He had been unable to find another solution in time, removing the spore hadn’t worked, and now assuming the shocker didn’t fail too, there was only a slim chance that Ken wouldn’t wake up as the Kaiser again. This was all Daisuke’s fault.

“Daisuke!” Wormmon yelled frantically as the Gorimon guards and various digimon from out in the hallway rushed over to the bed from all the commotion. “Use the shocker!”

Daisuke reached down but he could barely hold onto the device as he forced air into his lungs. His hands were shaking so badly that he could barely get a grip on it anymore. What should have been an easy task was turning into a huge struggle, especially with how blurry his vision had become from all the tears.

“Use it _now_!” Wormmon shouted again. “Andromon, do it yourself if he can’t! _Pry it out of his fingers!_ ”

Before Andromon had a chance to respond to the order though, Daisuke managed to steady his hands enough to get his fingers around it. Time seemed to slow down as he looked up at the ceiling, Ken still leaning up against his chest. The thoughts in his mind were too many, and too chaotic to really focus on any one in particular. The only thing he really knew was what he had to do now.

His shivering hands moved to press the metal end of the shocker against Ken’s neck, just as the other Andromon had instructed him to do. He slid his thumb over the button, but he didn’t press it right away. His eyes clenched shut as he started to second guess himself. However, when he felt Ken shift again as though he might fall over, he finally pressed down on the device.

A painful pulse of regret seared through his chest at the resounding _zap_ that filled the room. Ken shook a bit and took in a hiss of air, though he didn’t move anymore after that.

As Daisuke dropped the device back down onto the bed and held onto Ken, he could hear the word _please_ echoing repeatedly in his mind. He didn’t have to wait long at least - Ken moaned softly and his shoulders twitched as he started to wake back up. For a split second Daisuke felt relief spreading throughout his body, until he saw movement from the corner of his eye.

“Andromon, don’t!” Daisuke pleaded, but the robot was already wrenching his arms away from Ken. One of the Gorimon had come over as well to catch Ken and lie him down against the pillow.

“Orders have been given,” Andromon responded emotionlessly as he lifted Daisuke up off his feet and carried him away from the bed.

Daisuke growled and kicked at anything he could reach, which was mostly Andromon’s legs and feet. It didn’t seem to have any effect on him though. Andromon didn’t slow down at all, and eventually he put Daisuke back down on the floor in the infirmary entryway so that he could pull him along instead.

“Wait!” Wormmon called after them and ran out into the hallway as Daisuke tugged against Andromon’s grip on his wrist. “At least let me give something to him first!”

“Master said to remove him immediately,” Andromon didn’t turn around as he spoke. “It cannot wait.”

“Let go of me!” Daisuke shouted and tried to wrench his arm out of his grasp. His wrist ached horribly from the iron grip around it, but that didn’t stop him. He pulled even harder, and the skin around his restraint quickly started to turn red. “Ken!” Daisuke turned around and called back toward the infirmary, his voice cracking with desperation. “Wake up! Tell Andromon to stop!”

Andromon suddenly yanked him forward and Daisuke stumbled, nearly falling over his own feet.

"Andromon, _please_!" Daisuke didn't care how pathetic he sounded. It was getting harder to breathe as they made their way down the hall. "Don’t make me leave! Ken was delirious, you can’t take that order! I can help you save him! I can _fucking help you guys_!"

“You have done all that was required of you,” Andromon responded and shoved Daisuke through a doorway once they’d reached the end of the hall. He knew exactly where they were going now - the top floor docking room. "Master already made it clear that there is nothing more you can do for him."

"That's not why he made me leave you _asshole_!" Daisuke yelled furiously and kicked at Andromon’s knees again. "He did it to protect me! _Ken!_ " he shouted again, desperately hoping that it wasn’t too late. No matter how hard he tugged though, he was still forced to round the corner into the docking bay.

Daisuke sagged down and pressed the heel of his foot against Andromon’s back. He used all of his strength to try and pry himself away, but the pain was too intense even with all of his emotions urging him on. He cringed and whimpered as he put his feet back down onto the floor and ran closer to Andromon to try and get the throbbing in his wrist to subside.

Suddenly he was thrown to the floor and the doors to the docking bay closed with a loud _click_. He was locked inside with Andromon, who was now entering codes into the keypad on the wall by the door they’d just entered through.

The large loading doors began rising upward with a loud _hum_ of electronics and machinery. Daisuke whimpered again and laid down on the floor in defeat, clutching at his injured wrist without anymore hope left to propel him forward.

The sobs were back, his tears hitting the floor as despair and loss flooded over him. He couldn't get out... Even after all his efforts to somehow find a way to win this battle and remain in the base, he had still lost. Without V-Mon there he was just a human going up against a robot…

Daisuke's heart went numb and his skin grew cold. He was shaking from head to toe as silent sobs forced their way out every few seconds.

He couldn’t find the energy to fight anymore as Andromon forced him back up onto his feet and walked him toward the large opening outside. The massive doors were halfway up now - enough that if he ducked down, Daisuke could leave. There was another door opening up elsewhere in the room where an Airdramon came out from. It flew over to them and prepared to take Daisuke away.

“Please be still as you are taken to ground level,” Andromon informed him as a cage was brought over by a Gorimon who had come into the docking bay with the Airdramon.

“I hate you!” Daisuke clenched his eyes shut, tears running down his face as he was shoved into the cage and the door was padlocked shut. “ _I hate you_!” Daisuke yanked on the door in a futile attempt to wrench it open, but as he’d expected deep down, it didn’t budge in the slightest.

“Andromon!” Kiwimon’s voice cut into the room through the area that the Airdramon had been released from. It had a small sack draped over its back. “Before he goes, please give this to Daisuke. It’s from Wormmon.”

Andromon reached out to accept the bag before tossing it through the bars. Daisuke picked it up with weak, shaking hands and looked inside. His heart clenched to find his goggles and D-terminal at the bottom. Somehow the sight of them made the situation feel even more final than it already had, and his body went weak. He collapsed to his knees in the cage, though there were no tears left in him to shed.

“I cannot have you seeing where we are as you leave the base,” Andromon walked over to the cage, a rod of some sort held tightly in his hand now. “It is possible that you could find us and sneak back inside, so that leaves me with only one option.”

Daisuke backed away reflexively as Andromon raised his hand and pushed the end of the rod into the cage with him. However, without anywhere to actually go, all he could do was gasp as it was pressed up against his side. His body jerked from the electricity that shot up his spine and spread out to the ends of his limbs. He tried to stay conscious, but the pull on his head was too strong. His body hit the bottom of the cage just a second or two later and everything went dark.

********************

The smell of flowers and fresh grass mixed with the warm heat of the sun as it beat down against Daisuke’s skin. There was a cool breeze blowing by that might have felt nice normally, but there was a sense of dread in his stomach that made it impossible to appreciate. He knew he needed to get up, but it wasn’t easy with the pain throbbing against his skull.

With a groan, Daisuke curled up into the fetal position. He laid very still for a while in hopes that maybe he’d start to feel better if he just rested some more. However, when nothing changed after quite some time, he settled on slowly opening his eyes instead. At first the bright light made his head feel worse, but it wasn’t so bad once he adjusted to it.

Daisuke sat up very slowly and carefully, trying not to move his sore neck too much. He looked around by turning his upper body and was surprised to find his cage lying open on the ground a few feet away. Based on the pain in his head and shoulders, he was willing to bet that their landing hadn’t exactly been delicate. Who had pulled him out of the cage, though? The Airdramon was the only one with the key, so that was probably who it was.

Looking at his surroundings some more, he found himself to be up on a high plateau overlooking a large lake and a field of flowers. Right beside him was a cliff that lead down into the fields, though he wasn’t sure yet if that was the case for the entire outside of the plateau. Hopefully there was at least one edge with a hill instead of a dead drop so he could get down…

Aside from the broken cage, the only things on top of the plateau with him were a few lonely trees, a lot of grass and the sack with his stuff lying right beside his leg.

Another gust of wind blew by and the grass bent down beneath its weight. The tree branches shook and a few leaves fluttered away, falling down the cliffside and into the field of flowers below. The sky was bright blue and without a cloud in sight. If only he’d come here under different circumstances.

Daisuke turned so that he was facing the cliffside and pulled his knees up to his chest. He could feel the bag with his D-Terminal inside pressed up against his hip now, and immediately he felt his heart sink. He should probably call the others, but he just didn’t have it in him yet.

After resting his chin on the top of his knees, Daisuke looked out at the beautiful scenery with teary eyes. How much time had passed now? Was Ken okay? He needed to know the answers to those questions more than he needed to go home. He could probably turn on his D3 and see if he could find Ken’s signal, since it was still in his pocket from when Hikari had given it to him, but doing so would notify the others. They would immediately rush to his location, but he wasn’t ready to face them yet…

As Daisuke slowly moved his neck around and cringed at the pain, he thought about what going back to the others would entail. They would ask him a million questions, none of which he wanted to answer. His parents would do the same and he definitely couldn’t tell them the truth. There would probably be reporters and police officers on his case after having been missing for months. His schoolmates would interrogate him along with his teachers, and the rest of his family, and so on and so forth.

What was he supposed to tell everyone? He couldn’t risk telling them he’d been kidnapped because then they’d start hunting down a fake predator, and an innocent person might get arrested as a suspect or something. Maybe he should just fake amnesia… That was probably the easiest solution, at least with the majority of those who asked. It wouldn’t work on the other Chosen, though.

Daisuke picked up his stuff and moved over to a nearby tree. He sat down against it gently, his knees feeling a bit sore when he bent them into a crisscrossed position. After looking out over the cliffside for another moment or two, he found himself opening up the bag and pulling out his belongings. He strapped his goggles to his head, and just as he was about to put his D-Terminal in his pocket, he found himself opening it up and switching it on instead.

As he scrolled through the messages, Daisuke found tears of happiness in his eyes. There were hundreds of messages… Some were from the others, but most were from his parents and friends at school. It would take hours to go through them all, so he would only read the most recent ones.

As messages filled with desperate hope that he was somehow alive came up on the screen, Daisuke found himself wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Even Jun…

 _“Daisuke,”_ his sister’s voice floated into his mind as he read her message. _“I know I’ve sent you like, a million messages now but I don’t care! Here’s another one anyway! I just wanted to say that I’m still thinking about you. You’re my brother and I’ll always love you! I’m still going out every night and searching around town for you with my friends. I know you’re out there somewhere! Until I see a dead body I’m not giving up, you hear me?! I’m praying to like, every god that anyone ever thought up that you’re okay. Shit, I found a book full of greek gods the other day and I prayed to ALL OF THEM! I made a shrine to each one too, I don’t even care! See you soon, alright?”_

Daisuke laughed and the tears finally rolled down his cheeks. He opened up a few emails from his parents after that, all of which said similar things as Jun’s - aside from the shrine stuff, anyway. His friends from school and his teachers had all sent him messages as well, and apparently they went out with Jun every now and then to search for him as well.

Eventually Daisuke highlighted everything and hit _delete_ , setting his D-Terminal down in the grass beside him. He rested his forehead on his knees and hugged his stomach. He felt so guilty… Everyone was so worried about him and yet all he could really think about was Ken.

With a defeated sigh, Daisuke unclipped his D3 from his hip and hit the red power button on the front. He quickly scrolled through the menus and brought up the map. He searched as quickly as he could for Ken’s signal, even if the odds that he’d find him were slim.

Only a few minutes later his D-Terminal began buzzing nonstop from the endless inflow of messages. They were surely all coming from the other Chosen, Koushiro having most likely been alerted to his D3 powering on. The others would be showing up soon.

Daisuke continued to search the Digital World high and low for Ken’s signal, or for any sort of indication of where he might be now. His hands shook a bit - he was starting to get desperate as the time passed by more quickly than he wanted. He didn’t know where the plateau he was on was located, but in any case the others would surely reach him in just a few more-

Daisuke froze as he reached an area that he knew without a shred of a doubt had not been controlled by Ken before he’d left the base. It was the forest area right next to the desert where Andromon’s dome city was. He’d flown over it on his way there and destroyed the tower himself. However, according to his map now, it was once again controlled by the Kaiser.

Daisuke felt the hope in his heart quickly draining away as he stared down at the map on his D3. Part of him wanted to refuse to accept what he was looking at, but he knew it was pointless to fight it. Ken must have built that new tower just now while he was still unconscious.

He'd now failed in every possible way. Ken had been right there… He’d been so close to being freed from the oppression and manipulation of the spore, but just like that it was all gone now. Daisuke may as well have never even been in the base at all.

As his vision blurred and another tear ran down his cheek, Daisuke’s eyes moved over to the palms of his hands. There was a red streak where he’d held the back of Ken’s neck to try and stop the bleeding...

Daisuke’s entire body went weak as he clipped his D3 back to his pants and put his D-Terminal in his pocket. He had to hug his knees again to keep himself from just collapsing onto the ground after that. There were no more thoughts or emotions left in him as he stared out over the edge of the plateau. His tears were gone and his heart was empty. Instead of feeling the intense grief, anger and sorrow that he’d felt before, he now just felt numb.

It was strange… Where there had once been brightly colored flowers and beautiful weather, there was now just a dirty cliff overlooking a plain field and a lifeless sky. It almost looked physically different from how it had before. It probably would have concerned him if he could feel anything.

He’d never felt this way before… He had never felt _nothing_. Even at his worst times he still had felt depressed or afraid. He almost wanted to be scared of this new emotionless state because it was so unlike him. It was very much like having the Bio Ring on again. However, try as he might there just weren’t any feelings left to muster up.

Daisuke didn’t move when he heard the loud commotion of many digimon landing directly behind him. There was a rush of footsteps, and a few seconds later there were people all around him. He didn’t react to any of it though. His eyes remained planted on the field of dull flowers.

His mind drifted back over to Ken and the time they’d shared together. Did Ken even remember any of it, or had the spore erased it all now? Thinking about it, he could almost feel something again… Something horribly painful. He wanted to avoid it, but he knew that it would hit him eventually.

He just wanted his friend back... Memories of their time together at the beach replayed in his mind, followed by Ken fixing his goggles as a gift. Ken was snuggled up next to him in bed after that, his soft hair wrapped gently around his fingertips. He could remember their food battle in the kitchen, and how in denial Ken had been afterward. He remembered Ken’s smile, and-

“ _Daisuke!_ ” Hikari’s voice pierced through his cloudy thoughts and she suddenly appeared in front of his vision. She was kneeling down and holding onto his shoulders, and he was suddenly aware of the fact that she had been shaking them.

As he looked into her eyes he found desperation and fear mixing with her tears. He blinked at the sight, surprised to see such a strong emotion on her face. She looked like she’d been terrified by something.

“Daisuke…?” Hikari’s voice cracked a bit as she trailed off. “Are you okay?” As soon as she’d finished her question she wiped her eyes with her pink glove.

Looking around at the others, Daisuke found similar expressions on their faces. They'd been talking to him for a while now, hadn't they? He hadn't moved or responded at all, so they were now really scared for him. All he’d done was stare out into the distance, emotionless and defeated. No wonder they were so upset. They probably thought he was brain dead or something.

Daisuke knew he needed to say something to them. He didn’t want them to be scared for him anymore, but it was hard to muster up the courage to do it. He could feel a terrible pain festering in his chest, and it was ready to burst out and explode at any moment. He’d managed to suppress it so far, but it surely wouldn’t last much longer.

His friends didn’t deserve to be put through anymore of this though. They had finally gotten him back after months of desperate searching and fighting for his sake, and they needed to know that he really was okay. They’d already had to suffer through seeing him as an emotionless slave under the influence of the Bio Ring... They didn’t need to go through that again. His failure to save Ken didn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to save him.

"I'm sorry, Hikari..." his voice shook as it finally came out. "I just... I can't…!"

His resolve finally broke. Daisuke took in a deep breath and let it out into his hands in the form of a scream. Grief, failure and regret poured out of him as his shriek turned into sobs and his shoulders shivered. His chest ached and tears coated his dirty hands.

Hikari was the first to wrap her arms around him and hold him close, followed quickly by Takeru, Miyako and Iori. The older Chosen couldn’t hug him directly with their bodies already around him, but nonetheless they still followed suit and formed a group embrace.

Daisuke had never cried so uncontrollably before, not even in the base. Even when he’d been forced to shock the spore again he’d still been able to cling to the hope that Ken would come out of it okay. But now, after seeing that black spot on the map, getting air into his lungs was becoming more and more difficult. He gasped, choked and sobbed as he hugged Hikari back.

Even with so many people around him he’d never felt more alone. He couldn’t explain to the others where all this pain was coming from. If Ken was back to being the Kaiser again, then none of them would ever understand. After what had happened with the Bio Ring and without having seen Ken for themselves, they’d never believe it. Maybe Hikari would, but she was the only one.

Suddenly he realized that the others were all crying too, though their tears looked relieved and joyful. Even if he was crying, just seeing him finally react had probably meant the world to them. They’d surely thought that Ken had broken him at first…

As Daisuke looked back out over the cliffside and down into the valley below, he found the colors had brightened again somehow. They were vibrant and beautiful, and they helped him feel a tiny bit better. As painful as all of this was, he was relieved to finally purge himself of these horrible, pent-up emotions.

No matter what had happened or what was yet to come though, at least he could finally put his loved ones’ fears to rest. He could go home.


	19. Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm
> 
> Author's Note: Based on what I understand of the Japanese school system, and because it kind of matters for the sake of this chapter, students are in the same classroom all day and the teachers rotate between rooms. Lunch is eaten in the student's homeroom and school cleanup happens at the end of the day. An hour minimum of an after school activity is required, and then many students attend Juku after that (which is basically tutoring). Not all schools have Saturday classes, but as far as the Chosen go, they do indeed have Saturday lessons (Episode 36).

Everyone in classroom 12-B froze as Daisuke walked into the room, their lunch boxes opened up and spread out all over the desks. His backpack hung loosely over his shoulder, and a piece of paper was held tightly in his hand. All eyes were on him as the once-lively class ceased all movements - the large oscillating fan in the back corner being the only exception.

"Daisuke!" Takeru stood up from his chair and Hikari smiled brightly from the seat beside him. Most of the students had pushed their desks together with their friends to form a large group. Takeru and Hikari always sat together with a few other students and, under normal circumstances, Daisuke. However, his desk was currently sitting alone and empty in the center of the class.

In the still-silent room, Daisuke’s footsteps sounded much louder than normal as he made his way over to the teacher’s desk. She jumped to her feet and met him halfway as he held the piece of paper out to her. Even the sound of her unfolding it was much more audible than it should have been. As her eyes scanned over the contents of the note, Daisuke couldn’t help shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. It took a terribly long amount of time for her to read it, and Daisuke found himself clearing his throat just to fill the blank space until she was finally done.

"I understand," Akashi-sensei said with a nod. "It's very nice to have you back, Motomiya-san."

"Thanks," Daisuke forced a smile and bowed respectfully. Once he stood back up straight he bit his bottom lip and sighed, not wanting to turn around to face his classmates at all. He almost considered just backing away and going back home, but in the end he found his courage.

Hushed whispers floated over the loud hum of the fan as he walked over to his empty desk and sat down. He could feel their eyes burning into the back of his skull, and for the first time that he could ever remember, he despised all the attention.

“Everyone, back to what you were doing!” Akashi-sensei snapped and the other students jumped a bit. They quickly turned around to face their groups, and classroom 12-B went back to its normally rambunctious lunch break. Daisuke gave his teacher a thankful smile - he’d never appreciated her so much. She nodded to him and sat back down at her desk to continue grading papers.

As he looked around the room, Daisuke couldn’t help noticing the way the other student’s eyes would dart away from him as soon as they made eye contact. With a sigh he decided to just ignore it as best he could. He reached down to pull out his lunch box after that, but before he could even finishing unzipping his backpack to get it, someone was slamming their desk up against his on the right side.

“Daisuke!” Takeru grinned as he pulled his chair over and flopped down into it. “You didn’t _actually_ think you were going to eat alone, did you?”

Hikari smiled as she pulled her desk over as well, positioning it so that she was facing the two of them head on.

“I wasn’t really thinking at all,” Daisuke admitted with a small grin as he finished pulling his lunch box out. He wasn’t actually hungry, but he figured it was best to at least nibble on something before he was forced to endure the rest of the day.

“Well I’m glad you’re here,” Hikari said and her eyes lit up. “It’s such a relief to have you back!”

"Heh, yeah," Daisuke said as he tried to ignore the rest of his classmates’ obvious efforts to overhear their conversation. "My parents pretty much made me."

“Good for them!” Takeru laughed and took a drink of his water. “Gotta be better than sitting at home all day, right?”

“ _Seriously_ …” Daisuke let his tone of voice express his strong agreement with Takeru’s sentiment. He’d already been home by himself for way longer than he should have been, and all of it had been awful. He’d been back for about a week now, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to leave his room at first.

The majority of the problem had been the ceaseless headache, which Jyou was certain was a side effect from the head injury he’d surely suffered after landing on the ground in that cage. Not having been conscious for it, he hadn’t been able to prepare himself for the impact at all. On top of that his wrist had been so swollen that he’d hardly been able to move it, so he’d been icing it for many days. He’d been checked out at the hospital, but his concussion and wrist sprain had been minor enough to be released back home the same day.

He’d be lying if he said that none of his self-isolation had been from depression though. Having Chibimon staying in his room with him had helped a lot, even if it risked his family finding him. Chibimon could sure get loud at times...

He felt a bit guilty when he thought back to his friends and family. He still hadn’t told anyone the truth about what had happened, not even the other Chosen. Every time he tried to say it he could immediately see their looks of disbelief in his mind, and it just made him feel drained. His parents had even less reason to believe his story, so he’d just feigned amnesia instead.

None of the other Chosen had pushed him to speak up, though he wondered how long that would last. Surely as things went back to normal the time would come when someone would confront him on what he’d experienced in the base, and how he’d ultimately escaped. He hoped that he could either find a way to tell them the truth, or that they’d respect his desire to just not talk about it.

His family had initially jumped to the conclusion that he’d been kidnapped, and that the traumatic experience was why he’d lost his memories. Investigators had come to their apartment to question him constantly about his captor, but Daisuke always made sure to say that he didn’t remember anyone taking him. After a while the police concluded that perhaps he’d merely gotten lost with a head injury, having wandered around somewhere for a while and now he couldn’t remember any of it. Daisuke encouraged the notion, saying that he could vaguely remember feeling like he couldn’t find his way or something. No one had really bothered him about it since.

Jun knew something wasn’t right, though. She always gave him that ‘ _I know you’re full of crap_ ’ look of hers every time the subject came up. It was an expression they both shared with one another, and the fact that Daisuke had to look away every time she did it only made her more certain of it.

She’d confronted him that very morning as he’d gotten ready for school. She probably figured that if he was ready to confront his classmates, then maybe he was ready to confront her too. At first he’d considered telling her the truth, wanting nothing more than to finally tell _someone_ about what had really happened. However, he quickly remembered that keeping secrets was just as hard for Jun as it was for him, and he’d been forced to remain silent still.

Daisuke ultimately told her that he felt like more had happened, but that he couldn’t remember what it was. He implied that he didn’t want to tell anyone he thought there was more until he could at least figure out what it was, and she seemed to accept that answer well enough.

He’d made a point of showing up at school after first period had already started so that he wouldn’t have to deal with seeing anyone in the hallways. His conversation with the school counselor and the principal hadn’t taken too long, what with him already having a note from the police about his situation. His parents had requested it so that he wouldn’t have to explain it over and over again to every new person.

“... help you in any way that I can.”

Daisuke blinked and shook his head when he realized that Hikari had been talking to him. “Sorry!” he said quickly. “Can you say that again?”

Hikari smiled softly. “It’s okay, I know you have a lot on your mind. I was asking what your school counselor said about your attendance and all the school work you've missed these past few months.”

“Ah…” Daisuke trailed off with a scowl. “He said he’d waive my absences because of the situation, and that all of my grades will be adjusted to B’s… But he’ll only do it if I attend _ten hours of Juku_ every week!” Daisuke groaned and ran his hands through his hair. “Ten hours?! That’s like, two hours _every weekday_! Can you _believe_ that?! My social life is officially _over_ you guys!”

“Isn’t that a bit dramatic, Daisuke?” Takeru laughed. “Most students attend more than that during their senior year while they prepare for college.”

“Yeah, but I’m not _going_ to college!” Daisuke exclaimed and put his face in his hands with a groan. His voice came out muffled between his fingers. “I hate Juku so much!”

“I like Juku!” Hikari chuckled. “It’s fun!”

“Yeah, _fun_ ,” Daisuke rolled his eyes and slumped back into his seat with a pout. “That’s _definitely_ the word I would have used.”

Takeru and Hikari both laughed and shook their heads, and Daisuke couldn’t help but laugh a bit himself. The three of them smiled at each other and then proceeded to eat their lunches.

"We've really missed you..." Hikari trailed off after a bit, her voice sounding sad now.

“Everyone’s been really worried,” Takeru frowned. “We told the others we’d let them know as soon as you came back to school, but I want to make sure you’re alright with that first. You haven’t really talked to anyone this last week and we weren’t sure what was going on.”

“I’m sorry…” Daisuke trailed off with a sigh. “I just needed some space I guess.”

“That’s totally fine,” Hikari replied with a nod. “And if you need more time still, then that’s okay.”

“Well…” Daisuke turned to look around the classroom, raising his voice with each word he spoke. “I’d probably feel a lot better if everyone wasn’t staring at me like some kind of _dangerous zoo animal_!”

There was an awkward clearing of throats around the room as everyone's eyes quickly darted back down to their desks.

“Motomiya-san,” Akashi-sensei spoke up immediately. “I acknowledge your frustration, but please try to understand that your classmates have been very worried about you these past few months. They’re just confused and concerned. However, it _is_ extremely impolite to stare, and I think Daisuke has gone through enough without having you all looking at him awkwardly.”

There was a murmuring around the room as everyone stood and apologized, including Daisuke for his outburst. Takeru and Hikari followed suit as well for the sake of not looking rude, though they didn’t really have anything to apologize for.

“So…” Takeru began as everyone sat back down. “What’s that note say?”

“This?” Daisuke held up the letter that the police had given him. After Takeru nodded, Daisuke lowered his voice so that only they could hear him. “It’s the police report about my memory loss and a request to not have people questioning me about it. It’s also the principal’s order to have my grades reset.”

“Ah,” Takeru replied, though he didn’t seem totally satisfied with the answer. “But do you… really not remember anything?”

Daisuke was quiet as he picked at his rice with his chopsticks and didn’t make eye contact. He could feel both of them looking at him, but it was Hikari’s gaze that pierced through him the most. More than anyone else, she knew that a lot more had happened in the base than he was saying. He doubted very strongly that she believed he couldn’t remember it anymore.

“Well,” Daisuke looked up and smiled, his voice firm and finalizing. “It doesn’t matter now.”

Takeru glanced at Hikari for a second, but in the end he seemed to take the hint that Daisuke wasn’t ready to talk about it yet.

The rest of lunch had a lighter feel to it as less eyes stared at him and fewer ears eavesdropped on his conversation. Takeru and Hikari avoided serious topics after that, which Daisuke greatly appreciated. He didn’t know how many of the others believed his amnesia story, but they seemed to be willing to wait for him to approach them at his own pace. Maybe someday he’d find the strength to tell them the truth, but today wasn’t that day.

Lunch was over a lot sooner than he liked, and everyone was pushing their desks back over to where they belonged. Daisuke was one of the only ones who didn’t have to move, as he was already sitting in the center of the room.

Lessons were excruciatingly boring and especially hard to understand after having missed so much school. And of course as his luck would have it, Math, Science and History were his classes during the second half of the day - all the ones he struggled with the most.

The day went by so slowly that he was almost completely certain he would drop dead before the final bell rang. However, regardless of all his dramatic musings, the end of the day did eventually come and he was the first one out the door. Thank the _gods_ he didn’t have cleanup duty after school that day!

“Daisuke, wait up!” Takeru called after him as he and Hikari chased him down in the hallway.

“Are you already going home?” Hikari asked as they walked side-by-side with him toward the lockers.

“I’ll give you one guess where I get to go now…” Daisuke trailed off with a dramatic sigh. “You guessed it! _Juku!_ ”

Takeru laughed. “Alright, well let us know once you’re done, okay? We’ll meet up with you.”

“Huh?” Daisuke raised an eyebrow in confusion as he opened up his locker, cramming books into it and then pulling others out. “But the place I have to go is in the exact opposite direction of where you live.”

“That’s fine,” Hikari smiled. “We’ll meet you back here.”

“Not that I mind,” Daisuke shut his locker and groaned as he hoisted his heavy backpack over his shoulders. “But why?”

“You’ll see,” Takeru smirked and he turned around to leave with a wave of his hand, Hikari following suit and jogging a bit to keep up with him. Daisuke blinked and stared after them as they rounded the corner and walked out of sight. He had no idea what they were up to.

********************

Daisuke rubbed his eyes as he walked down the sidewalk. After his stupid Juku lessons had ended, he found multiple messages on his D-Terminal from Hikari instructing him to meet them at the beach instead of the school. He still didn’t know what the heck was going on, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious to find out.

He also couldn’t deny that his Juku lessons hadn’t been as stupid as he assumed they would be… They had honestly been very helpful in getting him caught up to the rest of his classmates. He might even be back up to pace with them in a few weeks if he worked hard enough. Damned Juku…

At least he’d been able to drop his painfully heavy backpack off at his locker again before coming out here to meet with the others.

Daisuke smiled as he reached the staircase down to the sandy shore. The sky was clear and the seagulls were out, the sight of them as they flew over the water making it finally feel like he was home. It had been hard to keep his mind focused on school work with his mind continuously moving back over to the Digital World. However, something about being here now was refreshing.

As he made his way down the steps, Daisuke took off his uniform jacket and held it loosely at his side, hoping to cool off a bit. He spotted Takeru and Hikari sitting on a log not too far away. Thankfully they were in a spot that was still on the path and not in the sand, so he didn’t have to worry about scuffing up his uniform. There were very few things he hated more than polishing his school shoes…

Suddenly he felt a bit nervous. What if they were going to ask him about what happened with Ken? He doubted they’d do that in a public place like this, but he couldn’t figure out what else they might want to talk to him about.

“Hey,” Daisuke greeted his friends as he reached them, suddenly noticing that they were in swimming suits. “Uhh… You didn’t tell me we were gonna-”

“SURPRISE!”

Daisuke gasped and jumped, dropping his jacket and whipping around at the sudden noise behind him. Before he could do anything to prepare himself, Taichi and Yamato had lifted him up off the ground by his arms and were carrying him off.

“What the heck?!” Daisuke exclaimed as all the other Chosen laughed and followed along, including Takeru and Hikari. Everyone was there, even Mimi, and they were all dressed to go swimming.

“Don’t worry about it, Chibimon found your swim stuff!” Taichi laughed and gestured at the bag hanging off his shoulder with his head.

“Yeah, so you basically don’t get any choice in the matter,” Yamato agreed as they reached the restroom building and finally dropped Daisuke back down in front of the men’s bathroom door. “Now go change!”

“But…” Daisuke looked around at everyone, still confused about what was going on.

“You’re eighteen now, right?!” Mimi giggled and jumped in front of him with a smile. “You missed your birthday so we’re celebrating today! No complaining!”

As Daisuke looked around at all of his friends’ smiling faces, he felt touched and teared up a bit. This had been the last thing he’d suspected was going on - in fact he hadn’t even considered it for a second. He thought maybe they were going to confront him about his time in the base or something, but he certainly hadn’t been expecting all of the other Chosen to be hiding nearby, getting ready to surprise him like this!

“What, do you need _me_ to change you?!” Taichi teased him and shoved the bag into Daisuke’s hands, pushing him closer toward the bathroom door. “Get in there and get your swim clothes on!”

“You guys…” Daisuke wiped his eyes and cleared his throat, a huge grin spreading over his face. “Thank you so much for this!” He turned around and quickly headed into the building as everyone smiled back at him.

Daisuke couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he quickly changed into his blue swim trunks and sandals. He stuffed his uniform clothes into his bag and zipped it up once he was done, figuring that he could probably get his mom to iron them out if he did the dishes or something. Once he stepped back out of the restroom building, he found that everyone other than Takeru were busy setting up a large blanket in the sand by the water.

“Hey,” Takeru nodded and they began walking over to the group. “Hope you like our surprise! We thought you deserved something like this.”

“I really do!” Daisuke put his hands behind his head and enjoyed the cool air on his skin. “Especially after a day like today! Man, you saw it! The other students just would _not_ quit staring at me! I mean, I guess by the end of the day most of them had laid off… 'Cept for that one girl.”

“Well, don’t take this the wrong way,” Takeru laughed a bit and shook his head. “But I don’t think what she did warranted your reaction to it. She wasn’t trying to upset you.”

“Yeah, well…” Daisuke smirked and trailed off, his voice turning a bit sarcastic. “I wasn’t _trying t_ o make her feel awkward while I stared at her for three solid minutes either, but after she'd been staring at me _all damned day_ , I guess I just figured she’d be able to handle her own medicine better!"

"You're such a jerk." Takeru punched his shoulder playfully as they left the cement path and started walking in the sand. "You’re not wrong, though... Pretty much everyone stared at you all day."

“I know!” Daisuke groaned and glared. “I normally like attention but today was super creepy... I want everyone to be in awe of my _mad skills_ or something, not looking at me like they’re just waiting for me to drop dead on the floor.”

Daisuke tried to remind himself that his classmates thought they were being polite by not asking him about it so boldly, but it fell short on him in the end. He really just wished more people would be as straightforward as he was, even if he knew that was asking a lot. The problem was that if they didn’t ever ask him face to face, then they’d come up with their own ideas about it. Already rumors about his disappearance were starting to spread around the school, and it had only been _one day_!

"It'll blow over," Takeru said confidently. “Just keep saying you don’t remember anything and they'll lose interest pretty quick. That's all I did after you went missing and I had to go to school on crutches.”

“Yeah, well, you weren’t missing for three months,” Daisuke sighed. “I hope they get over it soon. It’s already super annoying... ”

Daisuke cheered up a lot as they reached the others, and he finally noticed what they had spread out all over the blanket. There were a ton of wrapped birthday presents on one half of it, and a pile of Daisuke’s favorite foods and a chocolate cake on the other.

“Happy birthday!” Miyako threw her arms out and motioned at everything. “We all pitched in for everything, and we even rented one of the big volleyball nets over by the pier!”

“Make a wish!” Sora pointed at the eighteen candles she finally finished lighting. “I made double chocolate chip! That’s the kind you like, right?”

“I like anything with chocolate in it!” Daisuke grinned but stumbled a moment later as Taichi wrapped a lazy arm around his shoulders.

“We all decided it was bullshit you had to miss such an important day,” Taichi said, seeming to skirt around the topic of why Daisuke had missed his birthday.

“Yeah,” Yamato agreed with a nod. “As soon as Hikari told us you’d returned to school we threw this all together real quick. Kinda nice that you had Juku! Gave us some extra time!”

“It’s like a welcome-back-birthday bash!” Mimi giggled as she fussed with the arrangement of the gifts.

“We’ve had everything ready to go since you came back,” Jyou said with a chuckle at Mimi’s obsessive organizing. “We realized you wanted some time to yourself though, so we waited.”

“Thanks you guys…” Daisuke rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He really had no idea how to thank them enough for such a kind gesture. “For real, you didn’t have to do all this! My birthday...” he trailed off before he could finish saying that he’d actually had a nice birthday with Ken. “...will be really fun with you guys!”

“Should we eat first?” Koushiro asked as he touched the bottom of one of the tupperware containers. “I don’t think it’ll stay warm much longer, not even in this heat.”

“Yes!” Daisuke flopped down and sat crisscross on the corner of the blanket by the food. “I agree with Koushiro!” He turned and gave Koushiro a rough pat on the back. “This guy is _smart_!”

Koushiro laughed and rolled his eyes as he and the others began unpacking the food together. As Daisuke looked around the group he felt his smile start to fade. As happy as he was to hang out with his friends and celebrate his birthday, something didn’t feel quite right. It was like something important was missing, and it only took him a few seconds to realize what that something was.

Ken was a Chosen Child… He had a partner digimon and a Digivice. He was supposed to be there with them. Whatever forces had picked them all to fight together and save the Digital World, they had also picked Ken. And it made sense why they had! Ken was smart and kind and amazing! He could really help them if only… It just wasn’t right that things were…

Daisuke shook his head and took in a deep breath. He did his best to try and think about something else before he got emotional in front of everyone. In the corner of his eye he could see Hikari looking at him, but he made a point of not meeting her gaze.

Everyone took plates and dished up whatever food they wanted. Daisuke made a point of trying a little bit of everything - drinks included. The group descended into small talk after that, with a few different conversations all going on simultaneously. Daisuke laughed at the sight of Mimi dozing off on Sora’s shoulder next to him. It was around two o’clock in the morning over in America, so it wasn’t surprising that she was so tired.

“So, Daisuke,” Sora spoke after she’d given up on waking Mimi. “How was your first Juku lesson?”

“ _Ugh_ ,” Daisuke rolled his eyes dramatically. He couldn’t help grinning a bit afterward though. “Nah, it wasn’t _that_ bad I guess... My homework is super confusing right now so it helped for someone to explain it from further back in the lessons. It just sucks that I have to do it every day until I’m caught up…”

“Tutoring is very beneficial even for students who aren’t behind,” Koushiro added immediately. “I’ve been going for many years now!”

“Yeah, well…” Daisuke took a big bite out of his sandwich, not bothering to cover his mouth as he spoke. “ _Good for you_ , Koushiro.”

“Man, Juku _sucks_!” Taichi groaned as he entered the conversation. “I already go to enough school and get enough homework as it is! I don’t need _more_ on top of all that!”

“Maybe that’s why your grades declined,” Yamato smirked at him. “Weren’t they higher when you were still going to tutoring?”

“Hey!” Taichi glared at Yamato. “My grades are _fantastic_ right now, thank you!”

“Taichi…” Koushiro sighed. “Define fantastic.”

“Not failing!” Taichi grinned and nudged Koushiro with his fist.

Daisuke cracked up along with the rest of the group, and the conversations shifted around again. Hikari and Koushiro were scolding Taichi for letting his grades fall while Takeru laughed at him. Yamato and Jyou were trying to help Sora wake Mimi up, though they hadn’t had much success so far. It was at that moment, while the older kids were preoccupied with one another, that Miyako and Iori made their way over to him.

Daisuke hadn’t really taken much notice of Iori prior to that, so it came as a pleasant surprise to find that he wasn’t on crutches anymore. He seemed to have a bit of a limp to his step, but aside from that he looked fine.

“Hey guys!” Daisuke smiled as they sat down beside him with their plates in hand.

“Hey!” Miyako smiled and her voice dropped to a more serious pitch afterward. “How are you doing? Hikari and Takeru have classes with you so they probably know more than we do.”

Daisuke considered how he wanted to answer that for a moment before deciding to just be honest, “I’ve been better...”

“I can only imagine,” Iori replied sadly, though to Daisuke’s relief he didn’t say anything more direct.

“Sorry about your leg…” Daisuke trailed off as he looked over at Iori’s injury. Now that he could see it more closely, he could tell that it was a bit swollen still. Obviously not enough that he couldn’t walk on it, but…

“Huh?” Iori looked down at his ankle and scowled a bit. “Please don’t apologize for that. Ken is the one to blame for it, not you.”

“Mm…” Daisuke tensed up but he kept his mouth shut. He understood Iori’s feelings on the matter. He just had to remember that the others still didn’t know the truth, so he really couldn’t get upset at them for blaming Ken. Daisuke had chosen to not tell them anything yet, so he really didn’t have anyone to blame but himself.

“Well, anyway,” Miyako set her food down and gave Daisuke a serious look. “Do you need any help? Are you okay after... everything?”

“Um…” Daisuke glanced over at the others for a moment. As he looked around the group, he once again found himself unable to talk about it even when asked. So far everyone had been very light with the subject, which he greatly appreciated. When would he be ready to talk to them, though? If not now then when? Hikari was honestly the only person he felt would believe him.

Daisuke looked back over at Miyako and debated whether or not he wanted to tell her. Iori would hear him too if he did… Was he okay with that?

All he _really_ wanted was for someone else to understand who Ken really was. He didn’t want Ken to suffer anymore, or to be alone in that base. He didn’t want the spore to be destroying his life anymore, and he wanted Wormmon to finally have his partner back.

As Daisuke looked out at the water he could remember his time at the beach with Ken. The image of his smile as he told Daisuke about blowing bubbles with Osamu was so vivid in his mind… He loved Ken. He loved him so much… He just wanted him to come back so they could be together again. Even if they were just friends, that was fine. That was more than fine! He could be happy with that, just so long as Ken would be happy too!

“Daisuke…?” Miyako’s voice caught him off guard and he suddenly realized that a couple of tears had slid down his face. Damn it!

“S-Sorry!” Daisuke quickly wiped his cheeks and cleared his throat. “Sorry, I was just thinking about stuff and I…” He shook his head as his shoulder’s started to shake and the tears continued to flow.

No, no, no, he couldn’t cry in front of them! Especially not Iori and Miyako! They’d just ask even more direct questions and then he’d _really_ be on the spot!

“I-I…” Daisuke took a deep breath to try and calm down, but as he released it he choked. He quickly put his face in his hands, but the action only set him off more. A few seconds later he had his arms wrapped around his knees so he could cry into them quietly.

To Daisuke’s dismay it had gone completely silent. Everyone else had surely noticed… He buried his face deeper into his knees to try and hide from everything. He just wanted to vanish now. He didn’t even care where he ended up.

There was a hand on his shoulder suddenly and Daisuke stiffened. He didn’t lift his head up, but he didn’t have to.

“Hey…” Hikari’s voice came as a relief to him. “Come on…”

Hikari pulled gently on his arm, Daisuke rising to his feet without looking at anyone. He couldn’t bear to see all of their sad expressions because of him… He wasn’t the one they should be feeling sorry for. He wasn’t the victim here, it was Ken! It just wasn’t fair!

The two of them walked away from the group and made their way over to a large log that was long out of earshot. As soon as they sat down on it, Daisuke put both of his hands over his face and just let his emotions out. He didn’t care if anyone saw him cry anymore… He just couldn’t keep it in. He thought he’d sobbed out everything he possibly could over the last week already, but apparently he had a bottomless pit of grief in his heart now.

Hikari wrapped an arm around his shoulders as he cried. She didn’t speak a word, instead just letting her silent presence be enough. He appreciated it more than he could vocalize properly, and he quickly found himself leaning against her shoulder.

This was nice... It was almost like they were better friends now, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that something about their dynamic had changed. He knew he loved Ken, but did he still love Hikari? Was it possible that he loved them both? His sister had loved many people simultaneously, so why couldn’t he?

If he was being honest with himself though, it felt kind of scary to think about it. He’d loved her for so many years now, so how could he suddenly just not love her anymore? That wasn’t possible, right? Even with what happened in the base, he didn’t want to let her go just yet. He felt so empty now... In a way his crush on her was helping him feel like his life hadn’t changed so much.

Did that mean he was just using her as a way to cope with his loss though? And that he _didn’t_ really love her anymore? No… No, he didn’t want to try and make sense of it anymore. He wasn’t ready yet, and he had enough going on as it was.

“Thank you, Hikari.” Daisuke wiped his eyes with the palms of his hands and smiled at her. “Sorry I’m such a mess.”

“Anyone would be if they’d been in your shoes,” Hikari smiled back, though hers was a bit sadder as she folded her hands up in her lap. “I warned the others that it might be a bit soon to ask you about what happened,” she admitted. “I see Miyako said something anyway?”

“Not really,” Daisuke shook his head. “Nothing direct. She was just worried about me, that’s all. I kind of let my mind wander where it shouldn’t have...”

“I see,” Hikari said as she looked out at the water. “I understand if it’s too much to talk about. Take as much time as you need, Daisuke. Just know that whenever you’re ready, I’m here to listen.” She looked back over at him after that and smiled. “I also want you to know that I’ll believe you - whatever it is you need to say. No matter what it is.”

Daisuke felt his eyes watering again. Hearing Hikari say that she would believe his story… It meant so much more than he could express in words. She already seemed to know a lot more than anyone else. Maybe he couldn’t tell the others, but he could tell her.

Daisuke opened his mouth to try and talk to her about the base, but his words got caught in his throat and didn’t make it out. Immediately he felt nervous but he wasn’t sure why. Hikari was the only one who would listen and believe him. He knew that without any doubt in his mind.

He cleared his throat and tried again. “I…” he began, but once again he couldn’t get his voice to work. The words had been there, the ideas were right on the edge of his mind, but they kept stopping dead in their tracks. What was he so afraid of? If it wasn’t about whether Hikari would trust him or not, then what was wrong? Was he just not ready yet or something?

Well, he definitely was afraid of _something_. Ever since he’d come back home he’d been having nightmares of Ken dying in the infirmary, or of Ken dying in battle because he couldn’t save him again. He really hadn’t slept much at all in the past week.

When he tried to think about the source of his fears, the first thing that came to mind was the spore. All week he’d been watching areas in the Digital World turn black. The Kaiser was back for sure, but did that _really_ mean the spore was fixed? If even a small portion of it hadn’t been repaired by that device, did that mean it would start killing him again if too much of Ken came out?

Worse yet, if the others found out about it they might try to remove it, or they might not be willing to fight him anymore. It was hard to face, but what Ken had said was true - he and Wormmon couldn’t hold back. If they were going to fight him and win, then they had to do it without pulling any punches.

The others often struggled to make hard decisions, especially the younger Chosen. If they knew the truth, then Miyako and Iori would probably back out and the older kids wouldn’t be as helpful because they couldn’t always evolve. That was assuming everyone didn’t just argue about it forever.

They needed to fight together. Everyone counted. He couldn’t chance losing Miyako and Iori because of doubt. They were willing to fight Ken as it was because they saw him as a monster, just as Daisuke had seen him before.

No… He couldn’t tell them yet. It hurt to be alone with the knowledge, but it’s what needed to be done. As much as he trusted Hikari, he just couldn’t take the chance that she might slip up and say something to the wrong person - especially Miyako. The others finding out could be disastrous. Their outlooks would change, they wouldn’t fight as hard, and they might try to interfere with the spore too much. Koushiro might try to examine it or something, and who knew if it would retaliate or not.

Could Ken overpower it on his own, though? Was convincing him that digimon were real truly what would do it? Ken seemed to think so… Daisuke just had to trust that Ken knew himself, and that he knew what needed to be done.

“I’m sorry, Hikari…” Daisuke sighed and gave her a regretful look. “I can’t tell you about it. It’s not the right time... I hope I can someday, but not yet.”

“That’s alright,” Hikari smiled. “Today’s your birthday. You shouldn’t have to think about that stuff if you don’t want to. And don’t worry about the Digital World right now, we can handle it while you get better. Taichi can lead us until you’re ready. He’s already got some ideas about-”

“No,” Daisuke shook his head and looked out at the water. “I want to fight with you guys. I need to be there… I’ve sulked enough.”

“Daisuke…” Hikari trailed off, clearly concerned for him. “Are you sure? If you’re not ready it’s completely okay, no one sees it as sulking. You’ve been through a lot of pain… Please don’t push yourself so hard.”

“Just trust me, okay?” Daisuke gave Hikari a reassuring smile. “It’ll be hard to face him, but… I need to. I think it’ll help me move on to see him how he is now. I’ll be able to fight him again if I see the Kaiser and not Ken.”

Hikari seemed like she was examining his answer for what it really meant. Daisuke wasn’t sure if she’d found anything, but after a moment or two she smiled. “If you really think so,” she said with a nod. “It’ll be great to have you back. But!” she suddenly jumped up to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “For _today_ we’re going to relax and enjoy your birthday! Okay?”

Daisuke looked at her for a minute, and then just like that, all of his stress melted away.

“Alright!” Daisuke nodded and got back up on his feet. As they walked back over to the others he felt surprisingly relieved. Maybe it was because he finally knew for sure that it wasn’t the right time to tell them about Ken yet. Not knowing if he should or not and having it spinning around in his head was what made it so hard. He would know when the time was right to speak up though, whenever that day came.


	20. Kindness and Cruelty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm
> 
> **Important Notice** **: AS OF MAY 28th 2017, CHAPTERS 20 AND 21 HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY RE-WRITTEN AND ARE NOTHING LIKE THEY USED TO BE! ADDITIONALLY, CHAPTERS 1-19 HAVE ALL BEEN UPDATED WITH GRAMMAR FIXES AND OVERALL BETTER WRITING!** For the earlier chapters, none of the actual events in the story were majorly changed, though there were some slight adjustments here and there. The only chapters that need to be re-read are 20 and 21. You could check out the old stuff too if you wanted to though.

Daisuke watched as yet another dark tower crumbled to the ground, Fladramon and the other digimon all cheering in the large field of grass around it. The sky was cloudy but the air was warm as all of the younger Chosen smiled victoriously, their leader being the only exception. As happy as he was to free the area, Daisuke couldn’t help feeling disappointed at the same time.

Once again Ken hadn’t shown up to defend his territory. As painful as he knew it would be to see him, Daisuke also knew that he needed to. Hearing that Ken was active as the Kaiser again just wasn’t enough to make it feel real. Even seeing all the new areas on the map turning black wasn’t helping. He needed to see it for himself.

Daisuke had been struggling for a while now. Before his capture, he’d always looked forward to the next time he could go to the Digital World and help defend it, but it was just so hard to find that side of him now. Thinking about leading the group into battle made his stomach turn. He really didn’t want anything to do with it anymore, and it upset him to feel that way.

He was the group’s leader! It was his job to encourage everyone and to keep them working together, both during and outside of battle! But when he thought about fighting Ken after everything that had happened, he just couldn’t find the motivation to care.

_‘Tower is down,’_ Daisuke wrote out on his D-Terminal to Koushiro. _‘Still no Kaiser.’_

Koushiro responded right away, _‘Better that way. Glad you’re all unhurt.’_

Daisuke sighed and slid his D-Terminal into the back pocket of his pants. In the corner of his eye he could see the way Takeru and Hikari were looking at him. They were probably concerned over his lack of enthusiasm. Miyako and Iori seemed to be too busy playing with the group of recently freed and thankful Botamon that lived nearby to really notice him.

Honestly though, could Daisuke even do it? Could he really just go back to fighting Ken again like before? He could already feel himself getting emotional just from thinking about it, and he hadn’t even seen him yet. Maybe it was better for him in the long run that Ken had stayed so recluse. In his mind he thought it was true, but his heart disagreed completely.

“Daisuke?” Hikari’s voice cut through his thoughts as she stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “There’s one more tower we wanted to check out today, but it’s okay if you need to go back home early. Don’t feel pressured.”

“No,” Daisuke said and shook his head. “It’s alright. I can do it.”

“You sure?” she asked with a frown. “It’s not that I don’t trust your word, I just want to make sure you’re not pushing yourself for our sake.”

“I just need to know…” Daisuke kept his voice down so that no one else heard. He knew that even she wouldn’t fully understand what he meant by that, but he needed to say it to someone. “I need to know for myself. I need to _see him_.”

Hikari gave him a frown of uncertainty but didn’t say anything in response. She still seemed concerned about him, but not enough to dig around for more information before he was ready, which he greatly appreciated.

“So where’s the next Tower at?” Daisuke asked. “We should-”

A loud explosion cut him off suddenly. Everyone gasped and turned around to find a Drimogemon tunneling up out of the ground. Its eyes were red and there was a dark spiral wrapped around its front leg. All ten of the Botamon ran over to the humans and huddled together in fear.

A swarm of Dobermon were pouring out of the hole that the Drimogemon had just tunneled up through, all of them fanning out and quickly surrounding them in a tight circle. The Chosen’s digimon formed a protective ring around their partners and around the frightened Botamon, and then got into defensive positions. The Dobermon crept closer and snarled viciously, gnashing their teeth and dripping saliva.

Daisuke tried to think of a plan as quickly as he could. They needed to get off the ground where the Dobermon couldn’t reach them. However, before he could shout that out to the others, a Devidramon swooped down from above the clouds and came into view. Ken was crouched down on top of it, having clearly used the noise from the falling dark tower and all of their celebrating as a cover for his approach.

As he stared up at Ken’s form, Daisuke’s mind immediately went blank. Ken’s hair was spiked up, he was wearing his gaudy glasses, and his cape was flying backward in the wind. He had his whip at his side and Wormmon was on the Devidramon by his feet. This was it… This was the Kaiser.

Daisuke tried to move or speak, but his body had frozen up and his eyes were widening more and more with each passing second. Why couldn’t he do anything? He had been seeking this out for a while now. He’d been _certain_ that he was ready, and that he could face the Kaiser no matter what, but just seeing him was already too much. He couldn’t move or even think anymore.

As the Kaiser hovered above them on Devidramon, a smirk spread over his face. He removed his glasses and clipped them to the front of his uniform, looking directly at Daisuke. The moment their eyes met, Daisuke had to cover his mouth with his hand to hold back the nausea that was threatening to spill out of his throat. His eyes were tearing up… He wasn’t ready yet. He couldn’t do this!

“Daisuke!” Takeru was suddenly in front of him with his hands on his shoulders. “Come on, get it together! You can do it, you’ve got this!”

Daisuke tried to speak, but all he could do was choke on his words and cover his mouth again. His arms were shaking and his legs had locked up. He should never have come back here. He couldn’t do it… He couldn’t hurt Ken!

“Hikari, stay with Daisuke!” Takeru shouted out as he took charge over the situation, but his voice was barely registered in Daisuke’s mind. He hardly knew what was going on anymore. All he could do was stare into Ken’s eyes. They were hollow and empty… Ken wasn’t there anymore. Ken was gone. He was completely gone!

Daisuke gasped and held his stomach with one of his arms. He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head desperately. He didn’t want to see this anymore! He was so stupid for coming... He should have known this would happen!

“Motomiya!” the Kaiser’s voice boomed down over them. Daisuke tried not to look back up, but his willpower to resist just wasn’t there. As soon as their gazes met again, he felt tears tugging at his eyes. Ken just smirked.

“I see you finally decided to come back,” the Kaiser continued when Daisuke didn’t respond. “I half expected you to hide away in the real world for the rest of your life now. What a shame.”

“Shut up!” Iori threw a rock up at him, but it didn’t make it all the way. Some of the Dobermon barked and looked up at the Kaiser for permission to attack, but Ken didn’t give it.

“What did you do to my base, Motomiya?” Ken asked, though his voice held little anger. If anything he just sounded amused. “It’s interesting that right after you escaped, all of my security footage and the Bio Ring data went missing. I don’t _suppose_ you had something to do with that?”

Daisuke desperately wanted to snap back at him, insult him, yell, _do anything at all_ , but his chest only tightened up more.

“Nothing?” Ken raised an eyebrow in what seemed to be genuine confusion. “No insults? No snide remarks? Three months in the base and you can’t even talk now?”

As Daisuke’s eyes met with Wormmon, he found all of the same emotions staring back at him. Wormmon was too afraid to act or stand up to Ken, just like Daisuke was.

“Leave him alone!” Miyako gripped her D3 tightly. “You’ve put him through enough!”

“So you say,” the Kaiser laughed spitefully. “I’m not so sure about that, actually. I’m only _assuming_ he was there for three months since I can’t seem to remember any of it now. I don’t suppose you had something to do with that as well, _Motomiya_?”

As Daisuke continued to look at Wormmon, he could feel frustration welling up inside him. Even if he was frozen in place himself, Daisuke had still come out here to try and fight the Kaiser. He was doing his best, but what was Wormmon doing? Why was he just standing beside the Kaiser and letting him build more dark towers? Hadn’t Wormmon agreed to fight back too?

“Is this the only reason you came here?!” Takeru shouted back up at Ken. “To try and hurt Daisuke more than you already have?! We’re _all_ your enemies, not just him!”

Ken laughed suddenly, and the sound made Daisuke’s stomach turn. That wasn’t Ken’s laugh… “I’m going to give you one last chance,” the Kaiser announced as soon as he’d finished cackling. “Motomiya, tell me what you did to my base. Tell me how you escaped and why I can’t remember any of it. If you do...” he trailed off for a moment and his voice softened. “I’ll let you all go.”

“Don’t do it!” Iori immediately pleaded with Daisuke. “Don’t give in to his demands! He’s a liar!”

Hikari put a comforting hand on his arm, and he could tell that she was urging him to stay quiet too. Daisuke looked at her for a moment, and then back down at the ground. What was he supposed to do? He wanted to trust Ken more than anything, but deep down he knew that he couldn’t. Ken wasn’t really there anymore. He was-

Apparently he’d taken too long to think about it. There was a snap from Ken and one of the Dobermon suddenly shot an energy attack at them. It missed all of the Chosen and their partners, instead flying between them and meeting with three of the Botamon that were huddled together. They cried out, but it was cut short as their bodies burst into data.

“No!” Daisuke gasped and stared in horror at the empty space where the Botamon had just been. The seven remaining Botamon all screamed and moved out of the group they’d formed, clamoring and huddling around the Chosen’s feet instead.

Daisuke felt something rising up in his chest. His fists clenched furiously at his sides and his arms started to shake. He could hear yelling all around him from the other Chosen as they shouted up at Ken, but he couldn’t make out any of the actual words. He was too angry, and his vision was tunneling in on Ken now.

“Did you think I was playing around with you?!” the Kaiser’s voice managed to make it through all of the other noise. “You have ten seconds to answer me, Motomiya! The Dobermon will target the Botamon and there’s nowhere left for you to hide them!”

_“Just show me... that digimon are real again.’_ Ken’s voice echoed in Daisuke’s mind. _“That was what I... always refused to confront... the most. With the spore working normally... I should be able to overpower it... on my own. But Wormmon… you have to be ruthless too. Don’t be soft just… just because it’s me… or I’ll never wake up."_

Daisuke grabbed his D3 as his resolve came flowing back to him. This wasn’t Ken, but Ken was in there somewhere. The cruel Kaiser was just a fake. It was really just the spore manipulating Ken’s body, and Daisuke refused to associate it with his Ken anymore.

Aside from all that, the Kaiser was their enemy, and if they didn’t stop him then not only would the Digital World crumble, but so would the real Ken deep down inside. No matter how much it hurt to fight him again like this, Daisuke couldn’t allow Ken to just wither away. After all, hadn’t Ken made it clear that he would rather die than live like this?

Daisuke didn’t want to have to kill him… He would do whatever it took to prevent that. If it came down to it though, if all he could do to save the world was to finish Ken off, then he had to do it. It’s what Ken would have wanted.

Of course Ken would have wanted Daisuke to just kill him right then and there without a second thought, but that wasn’t how this was going to work. He _needed_ to try and save him first, to give it his all. Maybe it was selfish… But didn’t Ken himself count as an innocent life that was in danger? He was their comrade no matter what, and Daisuke would give everything he had to protect him before he gave up on him.

“Fuck you, _Kaiser_!” Daisuke suddenly shouted as loudly as he could, and the furious arguing around him stopped. All of the others looked over at him, as well as Ken.

Daisuke quickly whispered as quietly as he could so that only the Chosen could hear him, “Digmon, hide the Botamon in a trench. Pegasmon, Nefertimon, cover the top of the trench with a light barrier and stand on top of it - hold the Dobermon back from the ground while Holsmon attacks them from the air. Fladramon and I will jump up to Devidramon and get Ken.”

“Daisuke, you don’t have to-!”

“Ready?” Daisuke cut Takeru off before he could tell him not to be the one to attack Ken personally. The group was quiet for a moment as they took in the orders. Daisuke gave them a determined nod, and his sincerity seemed to convince them. As soon as they all nodded back, Daisuke gave the order, “Go!”

Fladramon quickly grabbed Daisuke and hoisted him up onto his back as the battle began. His orders were followed flawlessly, and the Botamon were protected before any of the Dobermon could hurt them. As soon as Fladramon saw an opening in the line of enemies, he got a running start and broke through them. Once he was out in the open he leap up into the air as high as he could.

Ken gasped as Fladramon jumped straight at him. He shouted at his Devidramon to move, but there wasn’t enough time now. Fladramon opened up his arms wide and grabbed Ken around the waist as he sailed overhead, pulling the Kaiser off with him.

Fladramon flipped over in the air and landed solidly in the dirt below, Daisuke having wrapped his legs tightly around his partner’s waist so that he wouldn’t fall off. Fladramon let go of Ken, but before he could do anything else, the Devidramon had slammed into his back and sent him crashing to the ground nearby. Ken quickly dodged out of the way so that he didn’t get taken down too, but Daisuke used the distraction to leap onto him.

Ken growled as the two of them landed in a heap in the dirt with Daisuke on top, the Kaiser’s glasses rolling away from them. He didn’t remain there for long though, as Ken suddenly pulled his knees up and connected them firmly into the center of Daisuke’s back.

Daisuke gasped as he was knocked forward, having to plant his palms above Ken’s head to prevent himself from falling. However, Ken used that moment to shove him over and onto his side. Ken tried to get back up onto his feet but Daisuke grabbed his legs and yanked them back, causing him to stumble and fall back down to his knees.

The plan had been to roll Ken back over so that he could get the upper hand again. However, Ken was already whipping back around as soon as he got close. Apparently he’d unclasped his cape from around his neck, and the next thing Daisuke knew it was being thrown into his face.

Daisuke stumbled backward and managed to tear the cape away fairly quickly, but not fast enough to catch Ken’s whip. It cracked against his side, Daisuke cringing and hissing from the pain. He didn’t let it stop his momentum though.

Ken ducked down as soon as Daisuke approached him, getting ready to flip him over his head and onto his back. However, Daisuke had already been expecting it - as soon as Ken grabbed him, Daisuke latched onto the cloth of his jumpsuit with tight fists. He was still thrown over Ken’s shoulder, but he held on well enough to yank Ken off his feet along with him.

Once again Ken was sprawled out on his back, this time smacking his head roughly against the rocky ground below. Daisuke quickly straddled back over him and pressed his knees down against the other boy’s arms so that he couldn’t move them. As he held Ken down by his neck with one hand and pulled his other arm back for a punch, he noticed the way Ken was wincing from the blow to the back of his head. The sight caused a pang of guilt to sear through Daisuke’s chest, and he suddenly froze up.

Time seemed to slow down as the two of them panted on the ground, Daisuke’s arm still held up. Ken’s eyes remained shut tight, though he could probably yank his arms out from beneath Daisuke easily enough if he wanted to. So far he hadn’t done it, though.

Daisuke kept his guard up, but he couldn’t quite will himself to hit the other boy. Damn it, _no_! He couldn’t hold back like this! Ken - _his Ken -_ had said this was the best way to save him! He needed to listen or he might not ever see him again!

The Kaiser’s eyes finally opened, and as they moved upward to meet with his, Daisuke once again found himself locking up at the sight in front of him. Ken’s eyes were ice cold and filled with hate, and yet he still couldn’t hurt him.

He needed to do it! Not even for himself or as some sort of revenge, but for _Ken_! Daisuke’s arm was shaking now and his breath had hitched in the back of his throat.

“Why are you _hesitating_?” the Kaiser asked in disgusted. “That was your chance! The longer you wait, the more energy I get back!”

“I know that!” Daisuke snapped angrily and clenched his fist harder. For a moment Ken tensed up and seemed to prepare for the impact. His arms twitched a bit though, as if he might be getting ready to yank them out at the last second. However, when the blow didn’t come and Daisuke’s arm sagged down, Ken’s eyes sharpened.

“Do it, you fool!” the Kaiser shouted. “Even _I_ didn’t think you were this big of a coward!”

_‘Don’t be soft just… just because it’s me… or I’ll never wake up.’_

Daisuke’s heart was racing in his chest. He narrowed his eyes and tugged his arm back up, clenching his fist so hard now that his knuckles were white. He took in a deep breath and…!

“Damn it!” Daisuke shouted and dropped back down, catching himself with his hands on either side of Ken’s head. He couldn’t do it… He just couldn’t do it.

As loud as the battle between Fladramon and the Devidramon slave was, it was amazing how quiet it felt around them. The attacks between the two digimon exploded and ricocheted nearby, and yet Daisuke could hear Ken’s breathing clearly in his ears. He opened his eyes, but his vision was blurry from the tears that had pooled up in them.

“What are you doing...?” Ken asked, but his voice didn’t have the same defiance anymore. His facial expression had changed drastically as well, the cold glare from before now being replaced with a wide eyed confusion.

Daisuke laughed morbidly and shook his head. “I just keep failing you…” he whispered, his voice shaking as much as his hands were. He knew he’d been loud enough for Ken to hear though, because the boy underneath him suddenly went rigid. Ken seemed speechless and even more confused than he had been before.

As a new wave of grief struck him, Daisuke was forced to cover his face with his hands. He tried to choke back the sobs, but it was impossible to keep them all back. His chest ached horribly now, and his head was starting to throb as well. He just wanted to give up...

Daisuke finally gave in and let the sobs out into his palms. Ken remained motionless beneath him as his shoulders shook and his chest heaved. Thankfully it didn’t take him too long to get the worst of it out of his system.

It was quiet again as Daisuke wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked back down at Ken. At first he didn’t notice, but a few seconds later it hit him - Ken’s eyes had changed. Where they had once been sharp and icy blue, they were now much lighter. They weren’t quite as soft as when Ken had been the most like himself, but they were somewhere in between.

Ken was there…! He looked completely shocked, but he was still in there! It wasn’t too late to save him!

“Ken…!” Daisuke breathed, his eyes lighting up and his heart racing in his chest. “Ken, _please_ listen to me! You don’t have to do this anymore, it’s not too late to stop! Digimon are real, they’re _real_ , Ken! What do I have to do to prove that to you?!”

Ken was silent, his eyes flashing over at the fight between Devidramon and Fladramon for a second before moving back up to meet Daisuke’s gaze.

“Ken, tell me!” Daisuke’s arms were shaking again with desperation. “Why won’t you believe me?!”

“I…” Ken trailed off, struggling to find his words after how disorienting Daisuke’s behavior had clearly been for him. “Th-That can’t be true if-”

As one of Fladramon’s fire rockets suddenly struck the ground beside them, Daisuke dove down to protect Ken’s head. Thankfully the blast hadn’t been quite close enough to hit them directly, though some of the large rocks bounced off his back, and the small twigs on the ground lit on fire.

Daisuke was about to try and help Ken get up so they could get away from the danger, but in the corner of his eye he saw Fladramon degenerating back down into Chibimon. Daisuke gasped and looked over at the fight. Thankfully the Devidramon looked pretty weak itself, but was his partner okay? He needed to hurry and get over there with Ken before Devidramon finished Chibimon off, or-!

Ken suddenly yanked his arms out from beneath Daisuke’s legs, using the distraction from the battle to his advantage. Before Daisuke could do anything to subdue him again, Ken had already flipped him over his head and onto his back in the dirt nearby.

Daisuke grunted and forced himself back up onto his feet as quickly as he could, Ken doing the same and standing back up at the same time. They faced each other, and the eyes that Daisuke was met with were cold and sharp again. However, he was surprised to find that they didn’t affect him as much this time. Ken was back to being the Kaiser, but just a moment ago a little spark of Ken had been there. He’d seen it plain as day, and now he knew without a shred of a doubt that Ken could still be saved.

The Devidramon flew over and lowered a wing down to the ground so that Ken could climb up onto its back. As badly as Daisuke wanted to chase after him, he instead ran over to where Chibimon was lying in the dirt. He’d see Ken again for sure, but his partner…

“Chibimon?!” Daisuke dropped down to his knees and scooped up his defeated digimon. Chibimon opened his eyes slowly and blinked up at him with a sad expression on his face.

“Daisuke…” Chibimon lamented. “I’m sorry… I tried my best...”

“It’s okay,” Daisuke smiled down at him and hugged him gently, relief coursing through him. “It’s okay now… Everything is going to be okay somehow.”

Daisuke was surprised at how happy he felt even though he’d not only lost the fight, but Ken had managed to get away again too. Off in the distance he could see that the Dobermon had all been subdued and their rings were being broken off by the others, so not everything had gone badly. Most importantly of all though, more than anything else… he’d seen Ken.

When he’d first come back to the Digital World after his escape from the base, Daisuke had felt empty. He’d felt no drive to fight, nor any real purpose in what he was doing. Deep down he knew that he needed to help them fight, and of course he wanted to save lives, but he couldn’t help feeling like it might just be better to leave it up to the others. He could just evolve V-Mon at the gate and go back home or something. But now…

As Daisuke watched the Devidramon fly away, he felt a soft smile spread over his face. He didn’t know how or when, but soon enough he would save Ken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: At this point we’ve finally reached the show again. Everything I’ve written so far is supposed to have taken place between episodes 17 and 18, so you could now watch episode 18 and everything should line up pretty well (aside from the fact that in my story the characters are all older). There are a few things to mention though:
> 
> **EPISODE 20** : Daisuke is very excited in this episode because he’s pumped to rescue Ken, and that’s why he won’t back down. He’s also surprised by some of the things he sees in the base, since it’s not like he was allowed inside every single room while he was there. Seeing the massive generator pit again isn’t fun for him, and Daisuke is also pretty angry at Wormmon. In this chapter (Kindness and Cruelty) Daisuke feels frustrated that Wormmon isn’t taking his own advice by fighting against Ken. However, Daisuke quickly forgives Wormmon in episode 20. Lastly, when Daisuke re-encounters the Digimental of Miracles, Ken’s heart reaches out to him again. Daisuke still doesn’t understand what it is though, which is why he’s so surprised by it.
> 
> **EPISODE 21** : After the Kaiser’s defeat, Daisuke is surprised to hear that Ken thinks the Digital World is all located inside his home computer. I made a point of not having that ever come up in my story so that his surprised reaction here would still make sense. Also, Daisuke’s renewed purpose in Kindness and Cruelty is the main reason why he’s able to stay fairly composed during Wormmon’s death scene, and also when Ken breaks down. He knows that Ken doesn’t remember him anymore, after all.
> 
> **EPISODE 22** : Daisuke still gets all competitive and jealous of Takeru, which I don’t see as weird at all. Regardless of Hikari, Daisuke genuinely loves to compete with him. As far as Hikari goes though, I see this episode as Daisuke’s test to see if he still loves her or not. This episode is why I had him remain confused about his feelings for her throughout the story, and now in episode 22 he has the time to experiment and find out what he’s feeling. As the episode progresses though, he focuses less on Hikari and more on showing up Takeru, until eventually he’s just trying to look cool in general.
> 
> **EPISODE 24** : At this point Daisuke’s been pretty relaxed. He’s happy that Ken is safe at home, but he doesn’t really expect Ken to want to come back to the Digital World. He doesn’t know how to approach him yet either, so he’s just kinda waiting until he can figure it out - except that Ken actually does come back to the Digital World. Not only that, Ken kills what appears to be an innocent digimon, but he does it so save Iori. Now Daisuke has a reason to try and find him without it seeming weird.
> 
> **EPISODE 25** : Daisuke immediately wants Ken to join their group again but everyone else is against it, even Hikari. I see her nervousness coming from the fact that Ken clearly hurt Daisuke while he was in the base. No matter how much he assures her that they can trust Ken, she still doesn’t know what happened. So it’s more that she’s worried about how having Ken in the group might affect Daisuke than whether or not she trusts him. But of course Daisuke doesn’t care, and he goes to find Ken by himself.
> 
> Well that about covers it. I think pretty much everything else for the rest of the series is pretty self-explanatory. With all of that in mind, the rest of this story will take place a few years after the show has ended. Daisuke and Ken will be in college.


	21. Catalyst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers: Ine-capa and Vertorm
> 
>  **Important Notice : AS OF MAY 28th 2017, CHAPTERS 20 AND 21 HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY RE-WRITTEN AND ARE NOTHING LIKE THEY USED TO BE! ADDITIONALLY, CHAPTERS 1-19 HAVE ALL BEEN UPDATED WITH GRAMMAR FIXES AND OVERALL BETTER WRITING!** For the earlier chapters, none of the actual events in the story were majorly changed, though there were some slight adjustments here and there. The only chapters that need to be re-read are 20 and 21. You could check out the old stuff too if you wanted to though.

Daisuke winced as warm rays of sunlight blinded him in the face through the open window above his bed, making his hangover worse. He shouldn’t have felt cold on a morning like this, and yet somehow his feet were frozen. When he forced his eyes open he was unsurprised to find that his blanket was already in a heap on the floor. Well, some of it was on the floor - the rest was piled up on top of Ken.

With a groan, Daisuke got out of bed and went to go get his slippers, only to find that he was still dressed in his blue school uniform. After how late their reunion with the other Chosen had gone the previous night, Ken had decided to just stay over at Daisuke’s place. Their dorm buildings weren’t too far apart, but after enough alcohol the walk always seemed a lot worse than it really was.

Ken was currently majoring in Forensic Science at Tokyo University while Daisuke attended Tokyo Central Culinary College. Continuing his education wasn’t something that Daisuke had ever intended to do, but with enough encouragement from Ken he’d decided to at least give it a chance. He was very thankful for it now, especially after managing to find a school that was so close to his best friend. Learning how to cook was turning out to be very fun, and his homework was all stuff that he could eat later!

There was a groan from deep beneath the blankets. Daisuke turned around to find Ken kicking off the covers with a gasp for air. His hair was in a state of chaos and his gray uniform was all twisted up. Apparently neither of them had changed into pajamas. All he could really remember was Ken pulling off the couch cushions to make a bed on the floor beside him, that way they could chat easier. That’s what they always did though, so he could be remembering any old sleepover really.

“Ugh…” Ken rubbed his face with his hands. “Your blanket tried to cook me…”

Daisuke laughed and then winced from the pressure it put on his head. He went back to looking for his slippers, though he was pretty sure he’d checked everywhere now. How did he keep losing his stuff so easily? Not that he cleaned his apartment very often…

Ken sighed, “I’ll have to take my clothes to the dry cleaner again.”

“Hey,” Daisuke grinned and conceded to just getting some socks out of his closet instead, though he’d have to step over Ken to do so. “You should just show up to class with your clothes all wrinkled one day, see what happens.”

“I’d get _kicked out of class_ is what would happen,” Ken said, though the small grin on his lips was noticeable enough as Daisuke shuffled past him. Almost immediately he grimaced though. “Does your stomach feel as horrible as mine does?”

“No, but my head is probably worse than-!” Daisuke gasped as he stumbled to the side while trying to pull the first sock on. He managed to catch himself, but the sudden jerk of his body caused another pulse of pain against his skull.

“Need some help?” came Ken’s sarcastic question, though a moment later he curled up and put his face in his knees with a groan.

For a moment Daisuke glared as he finished putting on the other sock, though he got over his indignance pretty quick. “You know what we need?”

Ken’s response from the makeshift bed was muffled with his head down the way it was, but it came immediately, “Cheap, terrible food from that place across the street?”

“It’s like you _know_ me or something.” Daisuke smiled as he began pulling clothes out of his closet. He kept a few pairs of pants and some shirts that only fit Ken just for these occasions.

It had become a strange tradition of theirs to go eat at the awful restaurant right outside of Daisuke’s dorm. Of course when they _weren’t_ hungover they’d just take the train into town and get real food, but when they woke up feeling like crap, neither of them wanted to walk anywhere. It was rare that Daisuke would have any leftover food in his fridge that they could eat, as most of what he bought was for his cooking assignments. Getting delivery was sometimes an alternative, though not very often when neither of them had much money. So they settled on what was nearby.

They didn’t go out drinking too much, and they almost never stayed over at Ken’s place with how strict Tokyo University’s non-family visitation rules were. They had to be given at least a full day’s notice first, and it had to be for educational purposes. Trying to convince them that Daisuke was staying over for anything even remotely educational was just a laugh waiting to happen, so they had stopped bothering with Ken’s dorm a while ago.

Of course Daisuke was still completely certain that he could sneak in, but trying to talk Ken into letting him try wasn't worth the wasted time.

Ken took the jeans and black button-up shirt that were offered to him, and then he headed into the nearby bathroom. While his friend was changing and probably fixing his hair, Daisuke quickly pulled on a red T-Shirt and khaki shorts before Ken could come back out. His apartment was just a studio, so aside from the bathroom there weren’t any other rooms to change in. He liked his place a lot though.

The kitchen was probably his favorite part about the dorm, which was located to the right of his front door. It had a bar and everything, so he’d never needed to buy a dinner table! Across from it was his living space, which housed the amazing television that everyone had pitched in to get him for his last birthday. Behind the living room, and separated by a wall that the television was mounted to, was his door-less bedroom. It was out of sight from most of the apartment, which was a nice bit of privacy for when he had guests over. Across from his bedroom was the disappointingly small bathroom that no two people could easily stand in at the same time.

As expected, Ken emerged from the bathroom looking as flawless as ever. He wouldn’t be caught dead in public with bed-hair and wrinkled clothing, that was for sure. He followed after Daisuke who made his way through the living room and grabbed his keys off the coffee table. Ken left his jacket hanging on the coat rack behind the door, and the two of them were off.

It was a shame that such a nice day was wasted by a hangover, but hopefully eating something would turn it around for them. The nice breeze on a hot day was a good start, but the loud cars and pedestrians quickly overshadowed it.

Once they’d finished crossing the street at the corner, trying to stay together in the tight crowd of people, Ken stopped moving and glared up at the cafe in front of them.

“Restaurant…” Ken shook his head disapprovingly at the neon red letters that were attached to the top of the building.

Daisuke laughed and rolled his eyes, “Here we go again...”

“Daisuke, it’s a restaurant called _Restaurant_!” Ken pointed at the sign, though even he was laughing at himself now. “I can’t _not_ notice something so uncreative! Even _‘52nd Street Restaurant’_ is less lazy than this!”

Daisuke walked around behind Ken and started pushing him toward the building with a grin on his face. He supposed it wouldn’t be a normal trip across the street without Ken’s usual tirade!

Ken continued as expected, “It’s like they asked a four year old what to name it and the kid was like ‘ _Huh? What? Well it’s a Restaurant_!’ You heard the kid, Daisuke! It’s a _Restaurant_!”

“When I open my first restaurant I should name it ‘ _Food I Guess,_ ’ just for you,” Daisuke snickered as they walked into the shop. The moment they made eye contact they both had to cover their mouths to keep from making a huge laughing scene in front of everyone else inside.

As they giggled and tried to calm down, both of them still a bit tipsy from the previous night, the waitress looked over at them and gathered up a couple of menus. “Two today?” she asked with a smile.

“Y-Yeah…” Daisuke trailed off, struggling to speak normally as they were walked over to the booth in the far back. He wondered if the waitress had chosen to put them over there on purpose.

The Restaurant was homely - not too fancy or big, but nonetheless comfortable. All along the walls were windows and various potted plants. Most of the customers who ate there were college students from the dorms nearby. Sure enough, Daisuke could even see a couple of his classmates seated nearby. They hadn’t noticed him yet, but that was probably for the best. Even if every other person in his class had gone there drunk after a college party at least once, Daisuke still tried to keep up a good image when he could. Maybe that was Ken’s influence talking...

“Same as last time?” the waitress asked once they had sat down. She was obviously remembering them from a couple weeks back when they’d had a few too many drinks and suddenly needed food. Daisuke looked over at Ken for just a moment and then he nodded to the waitress, who smiled and walked off.

Ken groaned and covered his mouth as soon as she was out of earshot. “She remembers us!” he spoke through his fingers in dismay. “This is horrible!”

“I dunno, maybe she liked us or something?” Daisuke offered with a shrug, but even he knew that he didn’t sound entirely sincere. “Maybe we, uh… made her laugh?”

“Daisuke,” Ken dropped his hands and gave him a disbelieving look. “We _only_ come here when we’re drunk or hungover. I don’t even remember her! Do you?”

Daisuke thought about it for a moment before answering with an awkward smile. “Nope…?”

“Oh God...” Ken put his whole face in his hands this time.

Daisuke rolled his eyes at his friend’s embarrassment. “Oh come on! It’s fine! We didn’t get kicked out so it couldn’t have been _that_ bad, right? Don’t worry about it so much.” Ken had always cared way too much about his image and what other people thought of him.

Ken parted his fingers and glared at him through the gaps. “You are completely shameless and a terrible influence.”

Daisuke smirked and pretended to dust off his shoulders. “What can I say, I’m pretty aweso- Wait!” he gasped and smacked his hands down on the table as an amazing idea suddenly struck him. “I got it! I’ll name the restaurant FIG! It’ll stand for _Food I Guess_ , but only you and I will know! I’ll have the store’s icon be- hang on, listen!” Daisuke laughed and pointed accusingly at Ken, who had just laid his head down on his arms over the table. “The store’s icon will be an artsy drawing of a fig! It’s _perfect_!”

Somewhere along the line Ken had started laughing into his arms and his ears had turned red. Daisuke just shrugged and sat back in his seat with a grin on his face, relishing in the amazingness of his own idea. Man, why hadn’t he thought of that sooner?!

Suddenly there was a buzzing sound from Ken’s pocket. He sat back up in his seat before pulling out his phone to check his notifications. He’d been grinning at first from their previous exchange, but the way his face quickly fell told Daisuke that the message had not been good. Soon enough Ken was sighing quietly and turning off the screen.

Daisuke gave Ken a questioning look, who began tapping his fingers idly against the tabletop. He seemed to be trying to figure out what to say, so Daisuke waited quietly.

“I, uh…” Ken trailed off and looked out the window. He tapped his fingers a bit more before finally folding them up and answering the question, though he still hadn’t made eye contact. “I think Miyako’s gonna ask me out tonight.”

Daisuke’s chest immediately tightened and a cold chill filled his stomach. He felt his fists clenching, so he moved them down below the table where Ken wouldn't see them.

‘ _Come on, you knew this could happen..._ ’ Daisuke lamented internally.

“I don’t know for sure,” Ken pondered out loud, still looking outside. “She wants to talk to me tonight in private. After the way she’s been flirting with me, I’m sure it’s something like that.”

“I see…” Daisuke winced at his complete failure to sound natural, his face heating up immediately. He was blowing this! Come on, _come on_ , get it together! “W-Well that’s cool! So what are you gonna say to her if she does?”

Ken looked over at him finally and frowned. “I don’t really know yet… You okay?”

“Wh-What?! Yeah, I’m fine!” Daisuke laughed and shook his head a bit _too_ enthusiastically. “Sorry, I guess I’m still really hungover.”

Ken’s frown only deepened, though he seemed uncertain enough to not push it too hard yet. Daisuke was extremely thankful for that. He could only hope it would last...

“If you say so…” Ken trailed off. “What do you think I should do though?”

“About… Miyako?” Daisuke did his best to swallow down the pang of jealousy that rose up in his chest and burned like bile in his throat. He really had done his best to not hate her over the years, but it was just so hard sometimes. It was his job as Ken’s Jogress partner and best friend to support him no matter what. He would protect Ken at any cost, and he would make sure that he was happy. That had always been his top priority in any matter, but of course it was a lot easier said than done.

Ken still hadn’t remembered their time together in the base, nor had he shown any indicators of coming close to it. Even now it was like it had never happened. Daisuke could still see it all like it was yesterday, but in many ways he wished he couldn’t. He’d already resigned himself to the possible fate of watching Ken fall in love with someone else.

It wasn’t like Daisuke to give up on something out of fear like this, so he’d really been struggling with it. Fear of rejection was a petty concern in comparison to his fear of the spore. If there was even a _slight chance_ that helping Ken recover his memories could cause it to turn back on, then he couldn’t do it - not even if it meant losing Ken to someone else.

He’d talked to Koushiro about the subject extensively, though he’d never told him the more intimate details about what had happened. All Koushiro had said was that there was no way to know for sure. He doubted that it would reactivate like that, but only testing it out could give them a truly solid answer, and of course testing it out could reactivate it.

They already knew the spore shouldn’t turn back on as long as Ken didn’t want it to, but what would happen if Daisuke suddenly brought up a ton of painful memories all at once? The Bio Ring, the hallucinations that the spore had given him, the trauma, nearly dying in the infirmary, their past relationship… What if learning about even one of those things triggered all of them together and it was too much for him?

Ultimately Koushiro had told Daisuke that letting Ken remember everything on his own was the only real way to ensure his best friend’s safety. So while Daisuke had made a few attempts here and there to help Ken remember, he’d always kept it light - small hints, indirect comments, hypothetical questions and other such things, but nothing had ever clicked.

“Daisuke?” Ken’s voice suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Sorry!” Daisuke shook his head and sighed. “You wanted to know what I thought of you going out with Miyako?”

Ken shook his head, “If you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine, we can-”

“No, no, I’m sorry,” Daisuke cut Ken off and took a deep breath to try and get his thoughts together. He didn’t want to be unsupportive. “I’m listening now. I just don’t think I’m the right person to help you with this because...” Daisuke looked down at his hands and tried to come up with something that was at least _somewhat_ true. “I really don’t like her at all, so I’d be pretty biased.”

Ken smiled softly, “I understand. She and I get along really well, but I guess you guys never did.”

“Yeah…” Daisuke’s voice got quieter than he intended. He was starting to feel sick to his stomach, and not because of the hangover. “You seemed a little upset when you saw her text though,” Daisuke managed to say as he looked back up. “Why’s that?”

“Oh, I just have no idea how to reply,” Ken said and went back to looking outside. “My parents _really_ want me to go out with her, they’ve made that pretty clear by now. I don’t want to say yes just for their sake though, and I really don’t know how I feel about it yet. I’ve been avoiding the subject I guess.”

“Well… do you… like her?” Daisuke dared to ask. He knew that he wasn’t prepared to hear the answer yet, but he just needed to just face it anyway. There clearly wasn’t any more time left.

Ken hummed a bit and seemed to think about the question. There probably wasn’t too much time passing by, but for Daisuke it felt like an eternity. He was about to find out from Ken himself if he had any feelings for Miyako... If he did, then Daisuke would just have to grow up and move on. That was what a real best friend would do. He could do it!

Ken finally looked back over at him and smiled, “I think I do.”

Daisuke froze and took in a deep breath to try and keep his emotions from spilling out, but the despair immediately shot up his spine. He looked back down at his hands when he felt the stinging of tears. He knew he could keep it down if he tried hard enough, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

 _Grow up and move on_ … He’d _just_ resolved to do that, but actually hearing Ken say it for real… Damn it, _no_! He just had to suck it up and support him! He needed to encourage him to be happy with Miyako! This wasn’t about him, this was about _Ken_!

He could do it… He could stand by Ken’s decision - he _had_ to! It didn’t matter what he wanted anymore! Somehow he would just have to figure it out and not get emotional, because then Ken would start asking questions. He didn’t need to bother him with all this drama.

Daisuke clenched his fists harder. Damn it… He just wanted to break down and cry so badly now. Suddenly the bottle of whiskey he had in his cupboards back home was feeling particularly appealing.

“Daisuke…?” Ken’s voice and eyes were filled with concern. “Are you okay? I shouldn't have brought up Miyako, I’m sorry-”

“No, no!” Daisuke forced his voice to sound as natural as he could. Hearing Ken blame himself for something that wasn't his fault made it easier to sober up. “It’s not like that at all, I just drank _way_ too much last night or something. I’m not really myself right now.”

Ken frowned and didn’t seem to buy it. “Daisuke… You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right? I would never tell anyone else or judge you. You’re my best frie-”

Suddenly two large bowls were set down on the table in front of them, beef ramen for Daisuke and miso soup for Ken. A large pot of hot, green tea came shortly after that with two small cups beside it.

“There you go!” the waitress said with a smile. “Can I get anything else for you two?” When both of them shook their heads and thanked her, she bowed and walked back toward the kitchen.

The table was quiet as Ken picked up his spoon and started to eat instead of continuing the previous conversation. Daisuke sighed and did the same, but he could barely hold the chopsticks in his shaking hands. His heart was pounding and he felt a nervous sweat building on his forehead.

Calm down… He needed to calm down...

They ate in relative silence, and Daisuke was happy to find that putting food in his stomach was at least getting his nerves to relax a bit. He was also happy to see that Ken wasn’t bringing the subject back up; he wasn’t the type to start a scene in public no matter how strong his emotions were. Ken would just save the matter for the next time they were alone. Would he bring it up again once they got back to his dorm, or would he drop it now?

 _You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right?_ Daisuke could hear Ken’s words in his mind and he immediately felt guilty. _I would never tell anyone else or judge you. You’re my best friend._ Ken was easily the better person between the two of them.

Daisuke tried to reduce his regret and paranoia enough to at least finish his food. ‘ _Just support him being with Miyako no matter what he says._ ’ He reminded himself firmly. ‘ _This is about what Ken needs, not what I need, and Ken might not need me anymore._ ’

He winced at his own thought.

“Your head still hurting?” Ken’s voice was quiet and concerned again.

“Yeah,” Daisuke sighed and didn’t bother to elaborate. For years he’d done a great job of keeping his feelings on this matter to himself. Leave it to Miyako to finally ruin it…

As they ate, the conversations were kept lighthearted. A good number of times Daisuke even found himself laughing as Ken brought up something completely unrelated and silly. It was almost as though he was going out of his way to try and cheer him up - and he probably was.

Soon enough Daisuke was stretching his arms above his head and basking in the warm sunlight as they stepped outside the restaurant. They’d pooled up enough money to split the bill and were now on their way back to his place.

And just like that his nerves were back. His stomach was turning, his arms were a bit shaky, and he could feel a cold shiver running up his spine even on such a warm day. Ken would probably confront him as soon as they walked inside his dorm room. This was terrible! He needed to-!

‘ _Get it together!_ ’ Daisuke mentally pumped himself up. It was fine, he had this all under control! He just had to not make anymore stupid mistakes and then it would all be okay! If Ken asked about it, he’d just pass it off like he hated Miyako _so much_ that he’d reacted really badly to it at first. He’d say he felt guilty for thinking so poorly of her though, and then he’d just encourage them to go out. He could do it!

“... just got all ten of them!” Ken laughed, and Daisuke realized suddenly that he had no idea what his friend had just been saying.

“Sorry, what?” Daisuke grinned awkwardly as they crossed the street at the light. “The cars were kinda loud, I couldn’t hear you.”

“But they…” Ken looked over at all the stopped cars waiting quietly for them to cross, and then he shook his head. “Anyway, I was saying that I wonder if Miyako really ended up getting all ten of those different computer parts yesterday. She text me saying she couldn’t figure out which one would fix her mom’s computer, and I didn’t know either. Well apparently she got all of them and decided she’d just return the ones that didn’t work.” Ken laughed again and shook his head.

“Weird, I hate returning stuff,” Daisuke said and looked straight ahead as they walked, keeping a forced smile on his face. ‘ _He’s talking about Miyako again… He talks about her more and more these days..._ ’

“She’s almost as indecisive as you are,” Ken smiled brightly as they made their way past the different dorms. Daisuke had been lucky to get housed in the building closest to the street, though it was unluckily the farthest one from his classrooms. Being on the ground level had its pros and cons as well. He liked not having to go up any stairs, but he really hated it when drunk students would stumble around outside his window at night.

“Yeah, I guess Miyako and I have some stuff in common,” Daisuke shrugged casually. He hated to admit it, but it was probably true.

“You have a ton in common!” Ken seemed to really brighten up at that, and Daisuke had to look away and focus on his dorm building instead of on the conversation. So he and Miyako had _a ton_ in common, huh? Something about that comment didn't make him feel good at all…

Far quicker than he liked, they were walking back into his room. Daisuke shut and locked the door, and then he turned around to face Ken. If he was going to bring it back up, he’d most likely do it now…

“You okay with me borrowing these clothes for a bit?” Ken asked as he walked over to the bed to gather up his wrinkled uniform. “I’ll bring them back tomorrow.”

“Sure!” Daisuke breathed a massive sigh of relief as Ken folded up his stuff and placed it all inside his backpack as gently as he could. He put the hoodie he’d worn to the reunion in there as well, and then zipped it up. There was still a chance Ken could ask him about it, but he usually did it right away, so the odds were low.

“Alright, well…” Ken tapped his foot as he looked around the studio for anything else he might have left. “I guess I’ll call you tomorrow? I’ve got some studying to do tonight before my test. I think it’ll be fine, but it can’t hurt to go over it again before I meet up with Miyako.” Ken looked him straight in the eyes and gave him a searching look. He was definitely suspicious.

“Makes sense,” Daisuke nodded as casually as he could, but something in the back of his mind started freaking out all of a sudden.

‘ _This is your last chance to tell him! Once he leaves, that’s it!_ ’

“I’ll let you know what I say to her,” Ken offered, though his voice seemed a bit hesitant as he tossed his backpack over his shoulders. “If you’d like me to, that is.”

‘ _He was yours first, not Miyako’s! You’re just letting her win!_ ’

“Yeah, let me know how it goes,” Daisuke smiled and nodded in response to Ken’s question. “Text me though, okay? I need to study too and I’ll probably just use a phone call as an excuse not to.”

‘ _You’re about to lose him! Don’t let him go!_ ’

Ken laughed and turned toward the doorway, “Alright, see ya!”

‘ _STOP HIM NOW!_ ’

“... _WAIT_!” Daisuke felt the words burst from his mouth before he could hold them back. Suddenly his heart pounded in his chest and it was hard to breathe. He had the urge to throw his hands over his mouth and run away, but he was too frozen to actually do so.

Ken turned around and looked at him, waiting for him to say whatever it was he needed to say. Daisuke just stared down at the floor as his thoughts swirled into a jumbled mess.

This really was it, wasn’t it? Ken would probably say yes to her, they’d start dating, it would surely work out great because they got along so well, and that would be the end of it. Daisuke would never get another chance to be with him... Ken had even said he liked her...

‘ _God, what am I doing? This is so selfish of me..._ ’

“I’m sorry,” Daisuke shook his head and looked up with the best smile he could manage. “I just wanted to say good luck. I know I’ve been acting really weird because of how much I don’t like Miyako. It’s… really not very fair of me. I just want the best for you, you know? But if that’s her… then I guess I’ll just have to find a way to accept it.”

Ken smiled, “I know, Daisuke. I care about you too. I still don’t really know what I’m going to say, but I’ll figure it out. Anyway… Thanks for wishing me luck.”

“Yeah,” Daisuke nodded, and with that Ken left the apartment and shut the door.

Daisuke felt his strength give out the moment he couldn’t hear Ken’s footsteps in the hallway anymore. He dropped down to the floor and sat back, pulling his legs up to his chest. Sobs erupted from his throat as he buried his face into his knees.

It had been a very long time since he’d cried like this, but he didn’t have the willpower to keep it in anymore. He’d just potentially lost Ken forever, he could feel it. It would be different if this were some random person that Ken wasn’t very close to, but it was _Miyako_... She had quickly become his closest friend after Daisuke.

Ken had told him many times before that he didn’t really like the idea of dating. In order for him to be with someone he would have to like them _a lot_ , otherwise he didn’t see the point in bothering. It was the reason why Ken had still never dated a single person before. So if he said yes to Miyako...

Daisuke had always thought he would be strong enough to support their friendship no matter what happened, but he was quickly realizing that he didn’t actually know how to do it - not when it was finally happening for real. Up until now there had always been a chance that Ken could remember what they’d been through and love him again before developing feelings for someone else. But now...

Fucking Miyako! That horrible bitch! He hated her so much, he-!

Daisuke took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He didn’t have the right to say that about her. She wasn’t a bad person and this wasn’t her fault. He _knew_ that, and yet his hatred for her just wouldn’t lessen. His jealousy was like a poison in his veins, and it was only spreading faster each day.

Daisuke wiped his eyes and forced himself back up onto his feet. He walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a small, half empty bottle of whiskey and poured a shot into a glass. After throwing the liquid into the back of his throat and swallowing it down with a wince, he made his way over to the couch. He set the alcohol down on the floor beside his feet as he choked back another sob. He’d been told by many people to never drink while upset, but he really couldn’t find it in himself to give a shit.

He took a deep breath and looked over at the pile of mail sitting on the end table next to the arm of the couch. All of it was already opened and read through except for one envelope - a letter from the Worldwide Culinary Arts Institute of New York, which was a school with one of the best international cuisine programs in the world. It was taught by people with real food knowledge from different countries, ensuring that their recipes would be more genuine.

Both Mimi and Ken had suggested that he try applying there because hey, why not? He was nearly done with his program in Tokyo, and studying food in America would give him a lot more experience - plus it would look great on his resume. He didn’t really think he’d be accepted, but he’d applied anyway for their sake. It was a two year program which included assistance in finding a job upon completion, but of course that offer only extended to American jobs.

Daisuke picked it up and stared down at it in his hands. He’d received it in the mail a couple days prior, but he hadn’t gotten around to reading it yet. Something about it felt so finalizing now… If he was accepted and he decided to go, would he ever come back? Of course that had always been the plan; he and Ken had talked about that quite extensively. But thinking about it now, what if he got a really good job in America or something? And what if Ken and Miyako were to...

With a shaky hand, he slipped his index finger under the fold and tore the envelope open. He pulled out the paper, flipped it open, and after taking in a deep breath, he read the letter. As his eyes scanned over the words on the paper he felt his tears returning. He let the letter fall to the floor as he covered his face with his hands.

He’d been accepted.

Daisuke reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, speed-dialing Hikari’s number. It only rang a few times before she answered.

“Hello!” Hikari’s voice came cheerfully through the phone.

“H-Hikari…?” Daisuke managed to choke out through the fresh wave of sobs.

“Daisuke?!” Hikari gasped into the receiver. “What’s wrong?!”

“I need… I need your help…” Daisuke eyed the whiskey again. “Like, really bad… Can you come over? If you’re busy it’s… it’s okay... I can try to-”

“No, no, I’ll come over,” Hikari cut him off, and he could already hear her opening a door in the background. “Just stay at home and wait for me, okay?”

“Alright...” Daisuke ended the call without another word, and then he threw his phone across the living room with a growl. He didn’t know how he was going to manage to not drink himself sick before she showed up, but he’d just have to try his best.


	22. Ultimatum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Important Notice : AS OF MAY 28th 2017, CHAPTERS 20 AND 21 HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY RE-WRITTEN AND ARE NOTHING LIKE THEY USED TO BE! ADDITIONALLY, CHAPTERS 1-19 HAVE ALL BEEN UPDATED WITH GRAMMAR FIXES AND OVERALL BETTER WRITING!** For the earlier chapters, none of the actual events in the story were majorly changed, though there were some slight adjustments here and there. The only chapters that need to be re-read are 20 and 21. You could check out the old stuff too if you wanted to though.
> 
> Author's Note: Hello everyone… I really don't know how to say sorry enough for how long it took me to update. Three years? Maybe more? I've learned something very important though, and I'd like to share it with anyone who would like to hear it. I think it's especially relevant to other writers.
> 
> I had many beta readers while I wrote this fic - too many, actually. Ine-Capa and Vertorm are great and I appreciate all of their support more than I can express here. There were a few other editors besides them that I haven't really mentioned before though, who mostly just did some pre-reading for me. Well, one of them didn't like the ending I had planned for this fic at all. They suggested that I do something my readers would like more, and the mistake I made was listening to that. I broke my integrity as a writer and I didn't follow through with what I knew was right. Because of that, no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't find my inspiration anymore.
> 
> As a writer you will rarely be able to create anything that you don't love for yourself. You just won't, or at least not for very long - not when you're inspired in another direction. Trying to force myself to end this story so differently than I had planned left me bored and unhappy. I didn't want to work on it, and over time I ended up hating everything about it. On multiple occasions I almost deleted the story entirely.
> 
> A few months ago though, I sat down and thought to myself… what would fix this? What could I do now that I've already written chapters 20 and 21 the wrong way? I knew that I was never going to finish this fic if I kept moving it in that direction, but I'd already posted it that way. All I really was really left with at that point was either rewriting those chapters, or just giving up entirely. For a long time I had settled on the latter, but all of you helped me re-consider the former.
> 
> I wish I could say thank you to all the fans who have sent me messages throughout the last three years or so, asking me so kindly if I would ever be ending it. You guys never once were mean about how long it had been since I'd posted, you just hoped to see an update someday. I never thought too many people would like this fic, but so many of you did and it shocked me! Really, I even had people leaving reviews on my Invader Zim story asking about this one! Everyone has always been so understanding and encouraging, and that constant support and patience is the only reason I found the determination to come back and finally finish this. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> Anyway, please don't learn this lesson the hard way like I did. Never, ever compromise on what you know is right as a writer, artist, cosplayer, anything. Always follow your inspiration to the very end! You'll never make everyone happy. In fact, you might make very few people happy at times, but all that matters is that you are happy. It's okay to make small compromises here and there, but it's important to know where that line is drawn.
> 
> So I hope you all will like the ending that I originally intended for this story, but knowing that I can finally love it myself is more than enough. I'm really sorry for how long it took me to realize all of this, but as they say… better late than never.

********************

Hikari sighed from the couch as Daisuke continued to throw up in the bathroom. Apparently he'd finished off the last of his whiskey while she was on her way over to his place. It had already been more than an hour since she'd arrived, Daisuke having told her everything about what was going on. She'd never gotten the chance to respond to any of it before he'd suddenly had to run off and puke though.

She twisted the hem of her lacy yellow shirt in her hand, imitating the way the guilt was flipping around in her stomach. Her brown leather jacket was lying on the couch beside her and pressing up against her long, white skirt.

Perhaps feeling mad at herself was harsher than she really deserved, but she couldn't help it. Not only had she clearly waited too long to confront Daisuke about all of this, but she'd also been the one to encourage Miyako to finally try confessing her feelings to Ken soon.

She had stayed over at Miyako's place after their big reunion party, and as usual her best friend had started talking about her love life first thing in the morning. Hikari always encouraged Miyako to just go for it when it came to her affections, but something had always felt off when it came to Ken. She'd never understood the bad indicators she always got whenever Miyako talked about loving him, but now it finally all made sense.

If only she had known sooner… She wouldn't have ignored her instincts and told Miyako to confess to Ken. She would have instead told her friend to wait for a better time, and then gone to encourage _Daisuke_ to have a talk with Ken first.

Hikari had always known that Daisuke was holding something back when it came to that incident, but she never imagined anything to this extent. She didn't mind the fact that he and Ken had been intimate together - it was just so sudden! She hadn't seen it coming at all!

Daisuke wasn't the type to hold anything inside. He blurted out everything he thought about, and only sometimes was he tactful about it. If someone else had told her he was keeping this much pain a secret, she would have never believed them. But hearing it from him personally while he gripped at his hair and cried the entire time he told the story… Well, she was still reeling a bit.

Hikari couldn't say she understood how Daisuke felt exactly, but she certainly knew what it was like to bottle too much up until it all just spilled out one day. Or until it sucked you into the Dark Ocean...

The sound of a door creaking open caught her attention and she turned to find a very exhausted Daisuke leaving the bathroom. He had a bottle of mouthwash in his hand, which he set down on the bar by the kitchen before sinking down into the couch with a groan.

"You shouldn't have drank more," Hikari sighed. "You and Ken already had quite a bit last night. This is why Miyako and I stopped after the first round."

"Yeah…" Daisuke grumbled as he leaned his head back against the top of the couch and laid an arm over his eyes. "I know…"

"I don't think Miyako realizes that Ken is hungover though..." Hikari pondered out loud. "She and I left before you two really got into it. I can probably use that as a way to stall their talk at least."

"Why stall it?" Daisuke asked. "If he's gonna say yes to her then he may as well just get it over with..."

"That's enough of that," Hikari scolded him. "This isn't like you. I know you've had a lot of alcohol but I've seen you drunk before. You don't normally turn into a defeatist."

"Yeah, well…" Daisuke rubbed his face with his hands. He'd apparently had around two more shots worth of whiskey before she'd arrived, which seemed to have made his hangover much worse.

When Daisuke never finished his thought, Hikari continued instead. "In any case, we still have a few hours until they were going to meet up. I'll text her and tell her to give it a week so that he won't be hungover when she tells him. That should give us some time to figure this out."

Daisuke didn't respond. Instead he just stared down at the floor with a cringe on his face. Hikari wasn't entirely sure if it was from what she had just said or from the hangover he still had, but either way she wasn't going to sit around and do nothing.

Hikari pulled out her phone and quickly wrote a message to Miyako. She made it sound as though she'd only found out because Daisuke had called looking for a jacket that he'd left at the reunion, and he wanted to know if she'd taken it home on accident. They'd talked about their night at that point, and that's when Hikari realized that Ken had drank just as much as him and was probably hungover too. It wouldn't be a good idea to confess to someone in such a state.

As soon as she was finished she showed it to Daisuke, knowing from past experience that if he wasn't _fully_ appraised on the situation then he _would_ somehow say the wrong thing to the wrong person and ruin the whole thing. It didn't matter if it shouldn't be possible for that to happen - _anything_ was possible when it involved Motomiya Daisuke, both good and bad.

He looked over at it and groaned after a moment, Hikari quickly hitting the send button before he could try to take the phone away from her and delete it or something. He put the top of his head in his hands after that and propped his elbows up on his knees.

"Hikari…" Daisuke trailed off, the previous sadness plaguing his voice again. It hurt to hear him like this… "I'm not trying to be pessimistic, it's just that he already said he likes her. I asked him myself. I don't want to string this along if he's just gonna end up with her anyway."

"You don't know that they would even work out," Hikari said as she set her phone down on the couch beside her. "People date and break up all the time."

"Not Ken," Daisuke shook his head without picking it up out of his hands. "He doesn't date at all. If he loves someone then he'll be with them, but otherwise he just sees it as a waste of time. Even I've dated more than him and I've only gone out with two girls. I'd hoped he would get jealous or something… Shit, Mika even kissed me in front of him once, but of course he was just like _oh yay_!" Daisuke sat back up and shook his hands in a mock-happy fashion. " _I'm happy that you're so happy, Motomiya-kun!_ "

"It's still not guaranteed to work," Hikari reiterated flatly.

"Odds are pretty high in their favor, though…" Daisuke grumbled. "I'm like the third wheel that won't move on and face reality."

" _Should_ you move on?" Hikari asked him, interested to see what he would say.

Daisuke was quiet for a while. He sat back against the couch, looking up at the ceiling fan that was spinning above them and keeping the room fairly cool. The window nearby was casting a bit of a glare over the black television screen as light filtered in through the blinds. Hikari could see how hard he was thinking about it in the reflection on the TV, until finally he sighed.

"I probably should, but I don't want to," Daisuke admitted. "I don't want to just let her have him. He was _mine first_! I'm not a quitter, so this is really hard for me..."

"Well then why are you quitting?" Hikari frowned a bit. It was so strange to hear him talk like this. "Aren't you the guy who would run face first into a brick wall if it helped Ken somehow? It's not hard for me to believe that you love him so much. If anything I feel like I should have figured this out sooner. Maybe not all the stuff about the base, but at least your feelings for him."

"If this was _just_ about me loving him then it would be different," Daisuke shook his head, still staring up at the fan. "The spore makes it a lot more complicated than that. I'm not just scared of rejection or something, you know? Koushiro said the safest thing to do was to let Ken remember on his own, and that speeding it up on purpose is what could be dangerous… I can't do that, Hikari."

"And how much of this story did you tell Koushiro? Does he actually have all the information?" Hikari asked, and Daisuke immediately cringed and looked away. "You didn't tell him everything, did you?"

"No…" Daisuke sighed and finally sat up so he could face her. "I wanted to... I honestly went there with every intention of it, but I just couldn't get the words out… Telling you is easier because you already know so much. Besides, Ken talks to Koushiro a lot so I didn't want to chance it. What if Koushiro slipped up and said too much or something?"

"You've been protective of him like this ever since the beginning," Hikari smiled softly. "It's very sweet that you're so concerned for him, but you have to consider other people as well."

"This isn't about me," Daisuke began. "It's about-"

"It's not just about _him,_ either," Hikari cut Daisuke off before he could say the same thing he'd already said a million times now. "Maybe at one point it was, but now it's also about Miyako. She loves someone who could potentially be in love with someone else and not even realize it. What if they got married and then Ken remembered years later? What if they had kids by that point? How do you think she'd feel if he suddenly loved you again and stopped loving her? Or worse yet, what if you end up really succeeding in America and you're not even here when he remembers?"

Daisuke looked down sadly at his hands, but Hikari didn't wait for a response.

"And since I'm the one you confided in," she continued, "and I'm _also_ the one who encouraged Miyako to talk to him, then that means this is about me too. Daisuke, more than just _you and Ken_ are involved in this situation now."

"I…" Daisuke trailed off without looking up. "I guess I didn't look at it that way…"

Hikari's expression softened and she placed a hand on his knee. "You meant well, Daisuke. You're afraid and you just want to keep him safe, I realize that. I know this is hard, but the truth is that you've already waited too long as it is. It can't wait anymore… You just have to tell him the truth."

Daisuke stood up suddenly and walked over to the kitchen, turning around a few moments later and pacing back over to the living room. He ran his hands through his hair distractedly and released a groan of stress as soon as he reached the coffee table. He changed direction again and was shaking his head over by the bathroom a few moments later, cringing at whatever it was he was thinking about.

Hikari watched him sadly. He really was a wreck... He'd been dealing with this ever since he'd been kicked out of the base, and he'd done a miraculous job of hiding it the entire time. Normally he couldn't keep any secrets from anyone no matter how hard he tried - especially not from her or Ken. That could only mean that this was so important to him that he'd actually managed to never slip up.

As soon as Daisuke was passing by the couch again Hikari sighed and rose to her feet. "Alright, that's enough of that," she said as she lead him back over to the couch with a hand on his shoulder.

Daisuke sat down without resisting, though he immediately started tapping his foot nervously and gripping at the bottom hem of his shorts. He wasn't looking at her. Instead his eyes were drifting over to the window idly and he seemed to be deep in thought. Was all of this stress coming from her statement that he needed to talk to Ken?

"What's on your mind?" she finally asked when it became obvious that he wasn't going to offer any information on his own.

"I can't do it!" Daisuke responded suddenly, shutting his eyes tightly and clenching his fists. "There's no way! I just… I just- _no_! I mean I can't because there's… and it could, you know! The..." Daisuke finally took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "On top of all the crap with the spore, I also don't want our friendship to get all weird because of this. He already said he likes Miyako, so-"

"Assuming that's true…" Hikari trailed off unintentionally, but even as quiet as she'd kept her voice, it still seemed that Daisuke had heard her. He'd gone totally silent and was staring at her, clearly wanting her to continue. She hummed for a moment and stood up, making her way over to the window. She could see the tight crowd of people on the streets below as they waited to cross the street.

"Have you ever thought about the girls you've dated, Daisuke?" she asked without looking at him. She'd never really put much attention on this subject before, but after the talk they'd just had she was becoming quite suspicious. She couldn't say for sure whether her hunch was accurate since it was still too soon to really know what Ken was thinking, but...

"Huh?" came Daisuke's confused response after a moment or two.

Hikari smiled softly. "Sakura and Mika… They looked pretty similar, didn't they?"

Daisuke still didn't sound like he understood what she was trying to get at, "No, they didn't really look the sa- well…" he trailed off suddenly. "I mean, I guess they both had dark hair but that was it… And… they were both really pale. But that's not a lot of similari- well... and they were both tall for girls, like around my height."

"Mhm," Hikari turned to nod at him, implying that he should continue.

"I don't know," Daisuke shrugged and sighed. "Uh… They both had really good grades, and… I guess they were pretty athletic. Except for Mika. She was a cheerleader but that's close enough. They were pretty shy too, so I-" Suddenly Daisuke's eyes widened. "Hey, I didn't like them for that reason!"

"Oh, so they _didn't_ remind you of Ken?" Hikari gave him a disbelieving look as she crossed her arms.

"Sakura had long, brown hair when she asked me out!" Daisuke fought back. "It was down to the middle of her back!"

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "And when she asked what you thought she should do at that makeover party with her friends, _what_ did you say?"

Daisuke looked down at the floor for a second before scowling and sinking back into the couch. "To dye it darker and cut it short…" he grumbled and crossed his arms before he found his defiance again. "Look, it's just a coincidence! They were the only girls who liked me!"

"Daisuke," Hikari rolled her eyes. "Mizuno Aiko asked you out, but you said no because she was too short and didn't like sports. Kazuki Keiko asked you to our High School prom and you turned her down because her hair was _'just so red,'_ as you put it, and because she was too loud. And then just this last year that really pretty cashier at the pizza place we all went to gave you her phone number, but what did you say when we asked you about it?"

Daisuke's scowl had been deepening throughout Hikari's tirade, and it was now closer to a defeated glare. "I said she'd look better without the fake tan and the bleached hair, _which,_ " - Daisuke pointed a finger at her enthusiastically - "Taichi agreed with, _by the way!_ Look, I didn't say she was ugly or a bad person. She just wasn't-"

"Similar enough to Ken," Hikari finished for him.

"What does any of that have to do with him and Miyako?!" Daisuke groaned loudly, clearly not following her train of thought at all. "That he likes purple hair?!"

"What else?" Hikari asked patiently. She couldn't just say it. Daisuke needed to really see it for himself for it to click. "Tell me more about Miyako's personality, and be _unbiased_."

Daisuke sighed and tapped his fingers against the arm of the couch. "She's… impatient and loud. And opinionated. Really bossy too."

After thinking for a bit, Daisuke groaned and rolled his eyes. "And she's _really_ stubborn, always has to have her way no matter what. So I guess you could say she's determined? Of course she'll probably end up clawing someone's eyes out in the process-"

" _Unbiased_ ," Hikari reiterated.

Daisuke sighed and sat forward on the couch. "She doesn't let other people's opinions of her get her down, which I can respect. She's pretty brave most of the time too, and confident. Ugh, and _fine_ , I _guess_ she's pretty caring… Always stands up for her friends and stuff..."

There was a short pause before Daisuke thought of more. "She's got like, a bottomless pit of energy or something. She gets really jealous and possessive too, but I guess you could also call that passionate or something. Man… and she's _super_ impulsive and cheeky as shit-!"

When Daisuke's eyes suddenly widened and he grew silent, Hikari looked back outside and asked, "Has Ken ever pointed out how much the two of you have in common?"

Daisuke's silence said more than enough on its own, but he did manage to vocalize his response eventually. "He's said it a lot… Especially lately. He even said it today..."

Hikari went back over to the couch and sat down, looking him straight in the eyes. "You dated those girls and didn't consciously realize that they were a lot like Ken, right? So why couldn't he be doing the same thing with you?"

"B-But you don't _know_ that he's doing that!" Daisuke's voice was almost hysteric.

"Of course I don't know," Hikari said and tilted her head to the side in confusion. "But it's a possibility... Why do you seem so upset? I would have thought this idea would make you happy."

Daisuke stared down at his socks with a look of fear on his face. Hikari could usually read situations, especially with Daisuke because of how expressive he was. However, even she had to admit that he'd lost her this time. What in the world was he upset about? Hadn't she just given him some hope that Ken could still love him?

Daisuke's lip quivered a bit, but she didn't think it was from trying not to cry. It seemed more that he was about to say something but stopped himself before he could even open his mouth. He tried again a few seconds later, but the same thing happened. Eventually he shook his head and seemed to have to force himself to speak.

"I'm… torn," Daisuke admitted quietly. "The more reasons you give me to tell him, the more I want to… But I still don't want to put him in danger."

Before Hikari could respond, there was a buzzing sound from nearby. She looked down and grabbed her phone up off the couch, unlocking the screen and checking over the message that Miyako had just sent her.

_"Man, he only drinks like that around Daisuke. Bad influence! Oh well, we'll be talking next Saturday now. Thanks for helping me with this! I'm still really nervous…"_

Hikari smiled as another buzz was heard in the room, but from Daisuke's phone that time. He reached over to check it as she typed out a response to Miyako.

_"It'll be okay, don't worry. I'm glad you two found another time. Not good to confess to someone who could still be a little drunk."_ It was a true enough statement she supposed.

As soon as Hikari sent the message she looked over at Daisuke, who was smiling down at his phone. He glanced up at her for a moment and seemed to pick up on her curiosity.

"Ken says he's happy she rescheduled," Daisuke said in the most cheerful voice she'd heard him use since she showed up. "He wanted more time to think about it anyway. And…" he sighed, "that I had better tell him what was really upsetting me so much today the next time we see each other..."

"I agree," Hikari smiled. "You should talk to him tomorrow."

"T-Tomorrow?!" Daisuke gasped and dropped his phone onto the floor. He stared at her for a moment before continuing frantically. "I-I can't just tell him all of this so suddenly! Tomorrow, th-that's…! That's way too soon! I'm not ready!"

"Daisuke," Hikari placed a gentle hand on his knee when she realized that he was starting to hyperventilate a bit. "Calm down. You probably won't ever feel ready so you may as well just do it." She couldn't help but smile at that point. "It's strange for me to be saying this to _you_ , of all people."

"Hikari…" Daisuke clenched his fists against his knees and shut his eyes tight, his breathing still a bit shaky. "I can't…"

"Tomorrow is Sunday, which is Ken's easiest day of the week to be spontaneous," Hikari explained. "He has a lot of classes during the week and gets a lot of homework, so there's no guarantee that you'll get a chance to talk to him after tomorrow."

Daisuke whimpered and shook his head.

"And if you _don't_ talk to him before next Saturday," Hikari continued before he could try to cut her off or something. "Then Miyako will ask him out and that will be that."

Daisuke put his face in his hands and his shoulders started to shake. Hikari's expression softened as she put her arm around his back and leaned against him.

"You can do this…" Hikari said in a soothing voice as he started to choke up again. "You're strong, caring and courageous, remember? It's what everyone loves about you - it's what _Ken_ loves about you. You've never backed down in the face of danger before, so don't back down now."

"But..." Daisuke trailed off between his fingers. "What if the spore hurts him again?!"

"Then call me right away," Hikari said as she tapped his shoulder with her finger. "You _know_ my number, and I'll come over immediately to help. But you know... I really doubt that will happen." She sat back up but she kept her hand on his shoulder. "He would have to want it to be reactivated in order for that to happen, remember? I really doubt that's the case."

"We could be wrong about that…" Daisuke wiped his eyes and sniffled, but even he didn't seem to believe that very much.

The room fell into a comfortable silence after that, Daisuke finally managing to calm down after a while. Hikari was pretty sure that what he really needed was some sleep, though. This was easily the most emotional she'd ever seen in all the time they'd been friends.

Watching Ken nearly die had really traumatized him… Hikari gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I'm so sorry you went through all of that, Daisuke… You've done such a good job of putting on a strong face all these years, but I think it's time you confronted it, otherwise you'll never heal. You _cannot_ keep holding onto this anymore, just look at how much it's affecting you. _Trust me_ , I know."

When Daisuke still didn't seem to concede the point, she sighed. She had been trying to avoid giving him an ultimatum, but...

"I care about you, but I also care about Miyako." As Hikari sat back and put her hands in her lap, her voice got more serious. "I can't let this continue no matter what, so I'm going to give you a week to tell him yourself. I'll keep Miyako off your backs until then. But if you haven't told him by Friday night, then I'm going to have to tell Miyako everything myself."

Daisuke gasped and looked up at her in horror.

"I can't stall Miyako forever," Hikari quickly explained. "She'll realize I'm urging her away from talking to Ken if I tell her to wait again. Then she'll confront me about it because she knows me too well, and I'm not going to lie to her. I'd have to tell her everything you just told me today."

Daisuke didn't respond. Instead he looked away so that she couldn't see his face, but she didn't push him on it. She could only imagine how hard this must be for him. When she really looked at his situation and at everything he'd been through, she honestly couldn't say for certain that she would have reacted any differently to it. Maybe she would have told Ken by now, but it would have taken awhile.

"I don't know where to start," Daisuke said quietly."How do I bring it up to him?"

"Hmm…" Hikari thought for a moment. "Well, Koushiro said the safest way was to help him remember on his own, right? Maybe you can find a way to do that still."

"In a day?!" Daisuke turned and gave her an incredulous look. "I've tried dropping hints for the past few years now and it never did anything! How the heck could I do it in a single day?!"

Hikari sighed and glanced down at the time on her cell phone, "I don't know but you'll have to figure it out. I have class soon, so I need to get going now. If you can't think of a way to remind him then you'll just have to tell him directly." She looked back up at him and gave him a supportive smile. "If you think it would help though, I could be there when you talk to him."

Daisuke shook his head right away. "No… Ken's not always very honest if other people are around. He'll put on a face and not express himself if you're there. When it's just me and him then he'll say whatever's on his mind. I hate it, but… It really just has to be the two of us..."

Hikari nodded and gathered her things up off the couch. She couldn't help feeling a bit nervous about all of this herself. She believed in Daisuke, but she also worried about him. She really hoped for his sake that tomorrow would go well. Even if Ken didn't feel the same way anymore, at least having all of it off his chest would help him finally move on. It was the constant waiting and wondering that was driving him into the dirt like this.

To be honest though, another part of her was worried about Ken's reaction to finding out. Would he understand why Daisuke had never told him anything after this many years, or would he be upset? Thankfully she didn't have anything going on the next day, so if anything went wrong she could come back over right away.

Hikari opened the door and turned to give him one last reassuring smile. "You can do it, Daisuke. Just remember who you are and believe in yourself like you always do. If you need anything just call me, okay? Anything at all. My class will be over in a few hours and then I'm free for a couple days."

"Okay…" Daisuke stood up and started to pace around the living room again. Hikari smiled softly as she closed his front door. He could do it... Tomorrow he wouldn't be drunk or hungover anymore, and he could surely control his emotions better. She believed in him.

********************

Daisuke wanted to throw up all over again. He probably couldn't even if he tried, but it didn't change the fact that he wanted to.

This was horrible… This was the absolute worst thing in the world. Tomorrow... Tomorrow?! But what if Ken couldn't actually see him or something? What if he couldn't see him all week? Then what would he do? He could _not_ let Miyako find out about this!

"Damn it…" Daisuke swore under his breath and picked up his phone. He sat down on the floor and stared at it with both hatred and fear in his eyes. He knew that he needed to call Ken and find out when they could hang out next, but he desperately didn't want to.

He couldn't stand this feeling... Even BelialVamdemon hadn't been able to shake him up like this, and the entire rest of the group had been terrified with ease. But when Daisuke thought about losing Ken, he immediately turned into a quivering mess. It was probably why he'd never seen a vision during that fight. All he cared about was making sure Ken was safe, so instead of seeing anything, he'd rushed off to his friend's side instead.

It was getting hard to breathe all of a sudden. Daisuke forced in a deep breath and let it out slowly. It didn't help his nerves at all, but there probably wasn't anything that would.

Daisuke glanced over at his empty whiskey bottle. While it was true that he and Ken didn't go out drinking together very often, he couldn't say that he didn't drink a lot on his own. He'd been doing it more and more lately… This problem really was dragging him down, wasn't it? Hikari was right. Everything she had just said was right and he knew it, but he hated it so much!

Daisuke growled and unlocked his phone screen. Do it fast! He just needed to type the message quickly and then hit send before he could change his mind!

_"Glad you have more time,"_ Daisuke finally replied to Ken's previous message. _"Anyway, wanna come over tomorrow? Noon good? I'll make lunch."_

Daisuke felt the muscles in his hand tighten up as his thumb hovered over the send button. When he couldn't will his finger to hit the screen, he used his other thumb to force it down. As soon as he saw the message pop up in their text chain, he immediately dropped the phone.

"Shit!" Daisuke immediately curled up and held his knees against his chest.

Seriously, how the hell was he supposed to do this if he was so freaked out? He needed a plan or something. If he could at least figure out what he was going to do, then maybe he could find some confidence. Going into it blindly wasn't going to work.

He hated this feeling so much… How could people stand to go through this all the time? Miyako was always a wreck anytime she was going to ask a boy out, and Iori had panicked nearly every time they'd had a battle in the Digital World. It wasn't that Daisuke had never felt fear, because that certainly wasn't the case, but it had never been so bad that he couldn't move.

As soon as Daisuke heard the sound of his phone buzz, Daisuke let out a quiet whimper. He reached down and picked it up, relaxing his position and leaning against the wall with his legs crossed.

"Please say no…" Daisuke whispered to himself. "Say no, say no, say no…"

_"Sure!"_

"Fuck!" Daisuke shouted and smacked his phone down flat against his leg. He took in a deep breath and let it out as a long groan.

Another buzz. Daisuke picked up his phone nervously.

_"Leftovers, or are you making it? If you need any ingredients I can grab some on the way."_

Daisuke sighed and rested his head against the wall again. His eyes were raw from how much he'd been crying. He really needed to calm down now or else Ken would immediately know how upset he was as soon as he walked inside tomorrow. God damn it…

_"Nah I've got everything,"_ Daisuke sighed as he typed out his response, trying to put some cheerfulness into it even though it wasn't genuine at all. _"See ya!"_ Once he'd clicked send again, he locked up his phone and set it up on the arm of the couch.

As Daisuke stared up at the twirling ceiling fan, he felt his head start to spin a bit as well. He had to come up with something before tomorrow at noon or else he was gonna blow this. He couldn't allow that… Somehow he had to get this right!


	23. A New Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Whelp, here it is... It's The Chapter. And by "The Chapter," I mean the one that I was encouraged not to write. I suppose I can't help but feel pretty hesitant to post this now. Not that I expect something bad. I dunno... I guess when you hear that your idea is "the worst idea ever" by someone that you're trying to take advice from, it kinda sits with you. Ugh, I'm totally channeling my inner-Daisuke from the last chapter right now. Gonna go snuggle with my Squirtle plushie over in a corner!

Ken's shoes clacked loudly over the ground-floor's cement walkway, easily giving away his approach to anyone who was listening. He let his fingers run idly through his hair as he made his way toward Daisuke's dorm, though he was only vaguely aware that he was even doing it. His mind was just so scattered… It was hard to focus on anything.

Something about his talk with Daisuke at the restaurant hadn't felt right, and it left Ken feeling a bit nervous about their sudden hang out today. Seeing his best friend on the verge of tears and trying to act like nothing was wrong was _not_ something he was used to - and no, he wasn't dumb enough to believe that it was ' _just from the hangover_.' Really, had Daisuke actually expected him to believe that? He could only hope that it wouldn't take too much prying on his part to get him to talk about it.

As soon as he reached his destination, Ken knocked on the door and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his white capris. To his surprise though, there was no immediate answer. Normally the walk down the hallway was more than enough to give away his arrival, and half the time he'd show up to a door that was already swinging open.

Ken knocked louder this time and then put his ear up to the door. As soon as he heard the sound of frantic shuffling coming from inside the apartment, he leaned back and raised an eyebrow. What was Daisuke so worked up about?

Suddenly the front door was wrenched open so hard that it created a small gust of wind around the doorway. Ken's hair was lifted up as the air current tugged him forward, along with the bottom hem of his soft blue, button-up shirt. In front of him stood a very disheveled Daisuke, his goggles strapped over messy hair and his yellow t-shirt all wrinkled in the front. Even his slippers were jumbled and not matching. About the only thing that was tidy on him were his brown shorts.

Daisuke stared, and for a split second he seemed to freeze and panic. Very quickly his composure was back and he was smiling, but Ken hadn't missed his initial reaction.

"H-Hey!" Daisuke said and quickly turned around. He left the front door hanging open as he headed back into the kitchen. Ken blinked in bewilderment before stepping inside, immediately inhaling the amazing smell of his friend's cooking. After shutting and locking the door, he quietly slipped off his shoes and pulled on the remaining mismatched slippers.

Ken took in the sight of the apartment with wide eyes. The place was completely clean! Not a single pair of dirty clothes were lying on the floor, all of the dishes were done, the surfaces had been wiped down, the blinds were open and letting the sunlight pour into the room, all the clutter had been put away, and the carpet had been vacuumed. He'd never seen the place looking so nice! It almost didn't feel like he was in the right apartment, especially with how messy Daisuke himself was.

"Wow…" Ken trailed off as he glanced over at the wind chimes dangling in the living room window and singing in the cool breeze. "Daisuke, I had no idea your place was this big!"

"Right?" Daisuke laughed and shook his head as he continued making lunch. "I should have done this way sooner."

"Why did you randomly decide to clean everything?" Ken asked as he glanced down at the crumb-free kitchen floor. "Not that I'm saying you shouldn't have."

"Oh, y-you know…" Daisuke stumbled over his words for a second as he poured a bowl of seasoned, whisked up eggs into a rounded pan. "The dishes smelled pretty bad this morning and I dunno, I guess I just kept cleaning after that. Got carried away."

Ken sat down in one of the tall chairs at the bar and watched his friend work. He couldn't help smiling at the focused expression on Daisuke's face as he carefully rolled up the egg patty in the pan to make tamagoyaki. Daisuke's eyes glanced over at the large pot of miso soup he had on low heat for a moment, and when he seemed satisfied with whatever he'd been checking for, he returned to the eggs.

Daisuke made cooking seem so easy these days. Looking back at the way he used to insist that he could never succeed in college made Ken thankful that he'd pushed him so hard to reconsider. Daisuke's parents had always called him stupid, which had clearly hurt his self esteem when it came to academics. At first he'd been irritated by Ken's constant encouragement, but after the way he'd talked about wanting to make ramen one day, Ken had refused to give up.

It had been such a sudden confession during their fight with BelialVamdemon, but Ken had immediately recognized the genuine excitement in his best friend's eyes. And sure enough, after Daisuke's first year in culinary school, his dream to open up a ramen shop evolved into an entire restaurant. Of course ramen would still be his trademark item, and Ken would make sure that Daisuke accomplished his dream no matter what.

Suddenly the kitchen timer started going off. Daisuke quickly turned the heat down on the eggs and then pulled out a large broiling pan from the oven with a perfectly cooked fish on it. He set the pan down on the cold side of the stovetop, and then he shut the oven door. Before going back to the eggs, he quickly checked the timer on the rice cooker.

Ken stared at all the food. "Daisuke… You didn't have to do all of this…"

"I wanted to!" Daisuke smiled as he finished rolling up the tamagoyaki. His forehead gleamed with sweat from moving around the kitchen so much, and from making sure that everything would be done at the same time. That was probably what Ken struggled with the most whenever he tried to cook anything.

Before Ken could say anything else, Daisuke had already filled up multiple bowls with rice and miso soup, and was dishing up the fish and eggs onto some plates. As he pulled a container of dried seaweed and pickled vegetables out of the refrigerator, Ken finally surrendered; the amazing smell of his friend's hard work had become too much to resist. To his surprise though, Daisuke started moving all of the food over to the coffee table in the living room. They usually just ate at the bar, but apparently that wasn't the plan today.

"Here, let me help," Ken got up and started carrying some of the dishes over, as well as some chopsticks and soup spoons. Eventually they were situated on the couch together with all of their food and some water. While Daisuke was turning the TV on with the remote, Ken decided to try his friend's cooking. It wasn't long before he was humming with approval at the taste of everything.

"You really need to get a part time job at that _Restaurant_ over there," Ken pointed toward the window next to them where the horribly named establishment could be viewed from. "I swear you could put every single cook there to shame."

Daisuke laughed as he set the remote back down on the coffee table. "I'll just stroll on in there one day like…!" he trailed off as he sat up in a mock-hero pose, dropping the pitch of his voice dramatically and putting his hands on his hips. "Well hello there, _mortals_!"

Ken had to stop eating when he suddenly started laughing, quickly covering his mouth with his hand so that his food wouldn't be visible.

Daisuke continued without missing a beat, "Allow me to bless this most cleverly named _Restaurant_ with my legendary cooking powers!"

After a significant effort to stop giggling and to get his voice under control, Ken smiled and shook his head. "I bet that waitress would finally be so sick of us that she'd actually kick us out!"

"Nah, she _totally_ likes us," Daisuke grinned as he started up the movie that was apparently in the DVD player already. After that he pulled the table closer so they could reach their food easier.

Ken immediately realized what they were watching, as it had been Daisuke and Jun's favorite comedy for as long as he'd known them. He had to have seen it a million times already, but he really didn't mind seeing it again. Daisuke must have had a random urge to watch it or something.

As the opening scene to the movie played out, Ken looked down at all the food in front of them and felt a strange tightness in his chest. He wasn't sure what it was from - maybe heartburn? He'd never had Daisuke's food give him a reaction like that before though. His friend was pretty adamant about only using high quality ingredients, or just making a sandwich.

"Mm!" Daisuke hummed and seemed to remember something all of a sudden. He got up and went back out to the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a plate in each hand. Ken was surprised to find him bringing over two small slices of chocolate cake, each with blackberries on top.

"I don't think I can eat all of this," Ken said with a blink as Daisuke set the plates down on the table.

"You never eat enough," Daisuke responded and poked him in the shoulder. "Did you eat breakfast today?"

Ken sighed, "No..."

"Well then eat!" Daisuke smiled brightly, flicking one of the blackberries at him playfully. "I made more food than we need so I'll have leftovers. But seriously, eat as much as you want!"

Ken surrendered with a shrug and flicked the berry back at his friend, continuing to munch on his food as the movie played. He probably could have laughed at it more if he hadn't already seen it so many times, but the jokes still left him grinning at least. From time to time he would reach over to take some more food. A couple of those times his hand brushed against Daisuke's, who immediately yanked his arm away. He sure seemed on edge for some reason...

Once the movie was about halfway over, Ken watched as Daisuke picked up his piece of cake from the corner of his eye. He set the plate down in his lap and used his chopsticks to cut off a small piece. As soon as he ate it, his eyes widened and he looked over at Ken.

"You gotta try this!" Daisuke said as he cut off another piece and held it out for Ken to… eat? Right off the end of his chopsticks? Ken had his own cake, so why was he doing it like that?

Ken stiffened up and stared at the small piece of cake next to his face. Wait a second... This was just like… but no, that was obviously not what Daisuke had meant. It was just a coincidence, it had to be. Ken had never told anyone about those old dreams, not even Daisuke. Except... all of the food was the same... They were even watching the same movie, and he'd flicked _blackberries_ at him...

After glancing over at his own untouched piece of cake, Ken felt the tightness returning to his chest. He didn't want to think about it anymore, so instead he cleared his throat awkwardly and picked up his own set of chopsticks, using them to snatch the piece of cake out from between the ends of his friend's utensils. Daisuke's eyes widened and he blinked in surprise as Ken popped the treat into his mouth.

"It's very good," Ken said as he covered his lips with a hand to make sure that his food wasn't visible. It was strange… Daisuke almost seemed disappointed that Ken hadn't let him feed it to him. Why had he even tried to do that in the first place? Normally he'd just assume that Daisuke was being silly, since he did things like that all the time, but for some reason he'd seemed oddly serious that time.

"Well that's… good," Daisuke smiled awkwardly, though he seemed to relax quickly enough. "I made it myself. Baked it last night!"

"Really?" Ken's eyes widened and he smiled with pride at his best friend. "That's great! You're very talented, Daisuke."

Daisuke smiled at him, though there was an emotion in the corner of his eye that Ken couldn't quite place. He seemed both happy and sad for some reason.

They finished eating in what felt like an awkward silence, though Ken had no idea where the strain was coming from. He was about to try and break the silence, maybe bring up what was on his mind, when Daisuke suddenly reached over to set his plate down on the coffee table. The movie was still playing in the background, but neither of them were really paying attention to it anymore.

Was Daisuke thinking about whatever it was that had been bothering him the previous day? That was most likely the case, but it was hard to tell without asking him directly. It was strange to see him so bothered by something, and yet so silent about it.

Daisuke eventually meet Ken's gaze, and he smiled. "You know... I never would have made it this far if it weren't for you. I was so sure I'd fail college, but you just pushed me along anyway, even when I was being stubborn about it. I guess I just..." Daisuke suddenly seemed nervous. "I just wanted to say that I care about you... _a lot_."

Ken felt his cheeks heat up a bit. "You just needed someone to help guide you in the right direction, that's all. I mean, look at me!" Ken laughed and shook his head. "I'm not perfect either. I still have anxiety attacks at times, and I can't always speak my mind. But you're always there to pull me out of my slump and encourage me."

"Yeah, but… but what I mean is…" Daisuke trailed off and bit his bottom lip. Ken waited patiently in hopes that his friend would explain whatever it was that was troubling him so much. He really didn't want to pressure him into talking about it, but he also highly doubted that it was good for someone like Daisuke to stew over something for so long.

This had all started after Ken had mentioned Miyako's possible confession, and now for some reason they were talking about how much they cared for each other. Was Daisuke worried they wouldn't spend as much time together if Ken started dating someone? It would be silly of him to think that, since nothing had changed while Daisuke was dating Mika or Sakura.

"Daisuke," Ken placed a reassuring hand on his friend's knee. "You know that nothing will ever change our friendship, right? Even if our lives change, we'll always have this."

Daisuke looked up at him, but the expression on his face seemed very sad for some reason. Ken was even more confused now. He had thought that would make Daisuke feel better, but all it seemed to have done was make him more uncomfortable.

Suddenly Daisuke stood up and grinned down at him. "Hey, you wanna go to the beach with me?"

Ken blinked at the random question, his train of thought totally derailed now. "The… beach?"

"Yeah!" Daisuke exclaimed and grabbed the remote to stop the movie, though it had nearly been over anyway. "It's really hot outside, so it'll be perfect!"

Ken frowned as he looked up at his best friend. It felt like he'd nearly gotten him to talk about his feelings just now. He might have to take a leaf out of Daisuke's book soon and be more direct. He still wanted to give him some time to open up on his own, but if he hadn't said anything by the time they were back from the beach, then Ken would just have to confront him personally. He really didn't prefer to do it that way, but...

"Alright," Ken agreed and stood up as well. "Are you wanting to swim though? I really don't want to get my clothes wet."

"I've got extras," Daisuke turned and walked over to his closet, returning a moment later with two pairs of swim shorts. He tossed the black ones over to Ken and kept the blue pair for himself.

The two of them took turns dressing in the bathroom, Daisuke grabbing a couple of white t-shirts for them to wear so that they weren't shirtless in public. They weren't too far away from the beach, but walking there would take quite a while as opposed to the ten minute train ride.

After Ken placed his folded clothing, keys and wallet on the bathroom counter, he went over to wait for Daisuke by the front door. He was really starting to feel anxious while his friend was getting ready. The more Daisuke avoided the topic, the more Ken's thoughts twisted around in his head and came up with all sorts of terrible possibilities. What if something really bad had happened? Was Daisuke in trouble? Was he sick? Had he failed his tests in school and now he might not pass his class? Had someone in his family passed away?

Once Daisuke was out of the bathroom with his swim clothes on, he put his house key and wallet into a zipped up, air tight bag. He made his way over to Ken and they left the apartment together, Daisuke locking up his place and then putting the bag inside his pocket.

The walk to the train station and the ride to the beach were both spent in a semi-comfortable silence. They chatted here and there, but for the most part they were both too busy thinking to talk about anything. Daisuke was clearly distracted, and it was making Ken paranoid. As soon as they stepped off the train and out into the heat though, Ken couldn't deny the sudden appeal of the ocean water. It seemed to have gotten a lot muggier since they left. The beach was crowded, but that wasn't much of a surprise; it was always packed this time of year.

Suddenly Daisuke grabbed Ken's hand and grinned at him over his shoulder. "Come on!"

Ken gasped as he was tugged along. As they jogged across the soft sand, Ken could feel the cool breeze coming in off the ocean as it blew through his hair and over his skin. It was very refreshing compared to the thick, humid air that was engulfing them.

They weaved their way through the crowds of people, passing by many laughing children as they played. There were umbrellas spread out all over the beach to protect those beneath from the hot sun, and most of the food stands along the pier were open. Groups of people were crowded around in front of them, seagulls flying overhead in hopes of picking up scraps of food off the ground.

"Hey!" Daisuke stopped suddenly, causing Ken to smack into him from behind. Daisuke didn't seem to take much notice of it though. Instead he pointed over to the pier. "Want to get a snack?"

"We just ate!" Ken exclaimed with a laugh as Daisuke turned around to face him. "How can you eat again so soon?"

"Hey!" Daisuke smirked at him. "I still play soccer, so I'm a lot more active than you!"

Ken smirked back. "I could still beat you if I wanted to."

"Oh yeah?!" Daisuke put his hands on his hips and spread out his stance, his grin widening. "Well _smartass_ , let's see you prove it!"

They only had to look at each other for a moment before the challenge was understood, and they both took off sprinting as fast as they could toward the pier. At first they kept pace with one another, but it wasn't long before Ken was able to take the lead. He'd always been a bit faster with his longer legs, but he couldn't deny that he was getting tired a lot quicker than he would have a few years ago. Not choosing to continue playing soccer in college had clearly affected his stamina. He and Daisuke still played one-on-one sometimes, but not as much as they used to.

Ken did his best to even out his breathing as his feet slammed against the wooden pier. From the sounds of it, Daisuke was coming up quickly behind him. People gasped and jumped out of the way as the two of them darted through the large crowds. There were some angry shouts about how they were much too old to be acting like that, but Ken didn't have enough time to apologize if he wanted to stay in the lead.

Daisuke really was a terrible influence on him…

The distance between them got wider and wider, and soon enough Ken had made it all the way through the wide shopping area and over to where the boats docked. He already knew exactly where he was going, as this certainly wasn't the first time one of them had coaxed the other into a race of this sort. They couldn't go out onto any of the actual docks, since those were all privately owned, but they could always run down the pier's main pathway to the very end.

Ken skidded to a halt as he reached the docking pier's end railing, smiling victoriously as he turned around to face his competitor. However, his grin quickly fell when he saw Daisuke still running at top speed toward him with a sly smirk on his face.

Ken glanced nervously behind himself, suddenly realizing that he was standing right in front of the gap between the two sections of railing. Before he could move out of the way though, Daisuke was already lunging headfirst into him. He wrapped his arms around Ken's torso, and the two of them flew off the side together. With a loud gasp from Ken and a victorious growl from Daisuke, they both plunged into the cool water below.

Ken held his breath and quickly propelled himself back up to the surface with another gasp for air, Daisuke doing the same beside him just a few seconds later. Immediately Daisuke started cracking up as Ken glared over at him, his soaking wet hair sticking to the sides of his face.

"You sore loser!" Ken groaned as he began peeling clumps of hair away from his skin and tucking them behind his ears.

"Hah!" Daisuke pointed at him. "Who's the _real_ winner now?!"

"Oh, _you_ of course!" Ken said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "Guess what you win!"

Before Daisuke could even respond, Ken had already splashed him in the face with a large armful of water. Daisuke sputtered and shook his head, and as soon as he looked back up with a challenging smirk on his face, the battle was on.

Ken threw as much water as hard as he could, turning his head away from the onslaught that Daisuke was sending back in retaliation. The air was filled with laughter and shouts of mock-outrage as the war raged on, both of them panting from exhaustion but refusing to surrender. After a little while though, Ken didn't feel any water being splashed at him, and Daisuke wasn't in front of him anymore.

He froze and began looking around wildly for his friend's inevitable sneak attack. He didn't have to search for very long though, because all of a sudden he felt someone grabbing at his sides from below the water. His initial expectation was that Daisuke would pull him down, but instead he started tickling him.

Ken gasped and squeaked, squirming beneath Daisuke's fingers and smacking at him. "Hey!" Ken giggled and reached down to run his fingertips over Daisuke's neck. His plan worked, and his friend jerked away from the light touches to his most ticklish spot.

Daisuke broke the surface of the water with a gasp and a laugh. He shook the water out of his hair and got most of it in Ken's face in the process. His laughter only increased when he looked over and saw Ken scowling, water running down his cheeks and neck. He quickly swam over to wrap an arm around Ken's upper back after that, relaxing against his side with a sigh of content.

It grew quiet after that, both of them swimming in place with one arm wrapped around each other's shoulders. Daisuke glanced over at him and smiled when their eyes met. The sun was shining over his wet skin and hair, giving him a radiant glow that suited him very well. Daisuke's eyes were strangely soft, as though they were searching for something. Ken found himself transfixed for a moment, until his stomach turned uncomfortably.

Images of water fights and beaches played through his mind, and of cool air over his skin as he flew on an Airdramon with Daisuke. Those old dreams… Why was he thinking about them again? They always made him feel sick and depressed, sometimes getting so bad that he'd have panic attacks when he was alone. It hadn't happened in a while now, so he really didn't want to start flaring them up all over again.

Suddenly there was a flash of Daisuke crawling toward him on the ground with a glowing dark ring around his neck. He was reaching out for help, but Ken just stood there and stared down at him instead of doing anything to protect him.

Ken choked and wrenched his eyes away from his friend's gaze.

"Ken...?" Daisuke swam around so that he was in front of him now, one hand moving to the back of his neck for some reason. Ken noticed the way his friend's fingers were resting right over the spot where the spore was, and how close their bodies were...

Why? Why was Daisuke doing all of these things? He couldn't possibly know about that stuff, so was this all just a coincidence? That had to be it...

"S-Sorry," Ken shook his head and pulled away. "I'm just tired… Can we go back to the shore?"

Daisuke frowned sadly, but nevertheless he nodded. "Yeah, but uh…" he trailed off and looked around for a moment. "I'm not sure where to go."

Ken glanced over at the nearby beach, which was really just a small strip of shore that ran below the pier they'd leapt off. It traveled along a rock wall that they could potentially climb up to get back to where they'd come from, but Ken didn't really want do that. They could surely just walk along the shore to get over to the main beach instead, which would be a lot easier. He was pretty sure they weren't supposed to be down there, but he'd never seen anyone monitoring it too closely.

Before he could explain his idea, Daisuke had grabbed his hand and was pulling him toward that very shore. They swam beneath the wooden pier, and soon enough they were walking over sand again. Once they were out from beneath it, Ken sat down for a moment and leaned his back up against the rock wall. His stomach still didn't feel so good…

Daisuke sat down beside him with the pier to their left and someone's boat dock to their right. The sky was open above them, and Daisuke was looking up at the clouds. He seemed a bit nervous, though Ken figured he was probably just worried about him. How embarrassing… Ken had really overreacted back there, hadn't he?

"I like looking up at the clouds sometimes," Daisuke said softly, pulling Ken out of his thoughts. He turned to look over at him with a smile on his face. "Do you?"

"I suppose..." Ken looked away from Daisuke and up at the sky, his heart rate increasing and a nervous sweat breaking out over his skin. He didn't like where this was going at all...

Daisuke still seemed on edge, but he wasn't stopping. "I like that one," he pointed up at the cloud directly above them. "It kinda looks like Wormmon, doesn't it?"

Ken blinked at the cloud and frowned. No... No it didn't… It didn't at all. Why would Daisuke say it looked like Wormmon if it was almost entirely square in shape? Of all the things he could have said the cloud looked like, why had it been _that_?

_Was this really just a coincidence?_

There was an image in his mind of Daisuke being slammed up against a wall as Ken shouted at him. Daisuke didn't react at all though - his eyes were completely empty. Somehow the bottomless expanse of his emotions were gone, and it was all Ken's fault.

Ken gasped and covered his mouth with a gag. A terrible nausea was crawling into his stomach. Seriously, what was wrong with him that he would imagine something like that happening to Daisuke?! Why was his subconscious _still_ punishing him like this?! He should have forgiven himself by now, and in so many ways he felt like he had, but then he'd turn around and do _this_ again! It was like no matter how hard he worked to make up for what he'd done in the past, the guilt would never fully go away.

"Ken!" Daisuke exclaimed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?!" He sounded very afraid, and the sudden emotions in his voice was disorienting. The way he kept looking at the back of Ken's neck wasn't helping it make any sense either. Sure, Ken had choked a bit, but… Had he cringed or something?

Ken looked away and stood up, brushing the sand off his shorts. "I'm fine, just too much activity after eating. Let's go back now." Ken didn't wait for an answer before he started walking back toward the beach, needing _very much_ to get away from that situation. He could see where the rock wall turned around a corner up ahead, which was probably where they needed to go. His arms were shaking slightly as he forced himself along.

It had been shortly after BelialVamdemon's defeat that he'd started waking up after dreams of him and Daisuke back in his old base. Some of them weren't so bad, such as the two of them spending time on a beach together and looking up at the clouds, or of them eating food and cake together. Not all of them were so easy to look at though... There had been dreams of Daisuke without any emotions, hurting his friends because of Ken, or of him being beaten in a dungeon cell.

The dreams had never been completely detailed, and at first he'd tried to figure out what they meant. As soon as he'd started seeing them while he was awake though, he'd quickly done all that he could to push them away instead. It was quite obviously just his guilt coming back around to bite him. Especially the more… explicit ones. He'd never understood why he would have sexual dreams about him and Daisuke like that, and it had put a lot of questions in his mind. Maybe seeing Daisuke, someone who had done so much for him, in such an inappropriate situation was another way of punishing himself.

Ken had always feared that he may have developed some repressed, sexual feelings for his best friend, but he'd locked them away just as tightly as the rest of it. Daisuke was clearly straight. First there had been his old obsession with Hikari, and then there were his two ex-girlfriends Mika and Sakura. Knowing that Daisuke liked women meant there was no good reason to let his emotions develop on the matter.

Daisuke had done things in the past that reminded him of those dreams, but never so many in one day like this... It was hard to deal with it all so suddenly, and it was starting to open up old scars that he'd worked very hard to close. He didn't want to feel anything for Daisuke that would jeopardize their friendship.

' _Just stop thinking about it,_ ' Ken reminded himself, and with newfound encouragement he looked back at his friend. Daisuke had been trailing along behind him, apparently staring off at the water with a very serious expression on his face. He didn't look upset, but he was definitely thinking about something. Ken felt a twist of nervousness in his stomach.

After rounding the corner, Ken could see the main beach up ahead. They walked a bit further until they were forced to squeeze between the barricades that blocked off the area they'd just come from. Some of the people on the other side gave them strange looks as they passed by. Normally Ken would have felt embarrassed, but his mind was way too scattered to care.

"Hey," Daisuke ran up beside him now that there was more room. "You okay? You seem really out of it."

"You're one to talk," Ken replied without thinking, and he immediately regretted his words.

Daisuke's eyes widened for a second before he looked away awkwardly. "I… I guess you're right..." The strain was thick between them after that.

' _What if it's not just a coincidence?_ ' Ken thought morbidly to himself. ' _What if he knows about it, and is making fun of me? Maybe he's trying to tell me that he knows I used to think about us having sex together!_ ' Suddenly Ken started to panic internally.

"Wanna head back to my place now?" Daisuke asked after a little bit. "I'm kinda tired after all that."

"S-Sure," Ken stammered. On the one hand he wanted to head back so he could get his stuff and leave as quickly as possible, but on the other hand he was afraid of being alone with Daisuke in his dorm now. What might he say once they had privacy? Ken needed to get his emotions under control... He was normally a lot more composed than this.

"Hey… Ken?" Daisuke asked, and the nervousness in his voice only made Ken feel more freaked out.

"Y-Yeah…?" Ken clenched his fists at his sides as they got further away from the other people at the beach. No one could overhear them now… This wasn't good at all. It's not that he didn't want to talk to Daisuke, but if they were going to talk about _that_ , then...

Before Ken could say anything else though, Daisuke stepped out in front of him and took his hand, setting a white sea shell down in his palm. It was perfectly shaped and clean, and dripping with seawater. Daisuke must have dipped it into the ocean to clean it off somewhere along the line. Had it been back when they'd been walking along the wall? Ken had been staring straight ahead for most of that time, so it's not like he would have noticed if he had.

The sea shell wasn't the same shape as the one from his dreams, but it was certainly close enough to pick up on the implication.

_It wasn't a coincidence._

"I found it under the pier..." Daisuke trailed off softly. "I thought you might like it."

"Daisuke..." Ken breathed quietly as he stared down at the shell sitting in his now-shaking hand. "Are you... Are you making fun of me?"

"Making…" Daisuke trailed off, his voice extremely confused now. "Making fun…? What?"

Ken finally looked up and narrowed his eyes. "How do you know about this?" He clutched the shell tightly in his hand, though not enough to break it. He did his best to keep his voice down since they were still in public, but it was hard with his head spinning the way it was. "I've never told anyone about it, not _anyone_... How did you know to do all of this?"

"Dreams…?" Daisuke trailed off and then froze, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging open in shock. He seemed completely petrified, which only solidified for Ken that he really did know everything. "Y-You had...?" Daisuke didn't finish his question, his voice so quiet that Ken nearly missed what he said.

Ken took a step back and tears tugged at his eyes. This was horrible… This was so horrible! Nothing could be worse than this! He'd never wanted anyone to find out, but _especially_ not Daisuke! He was so humiliated now! He just wanted to run away and never look at him again, but all of Ken's things were still over at Daisuke's place! He couldn't just run off yet...

Without another word, Ken stuffed the shell into his pocket and began walking back toward the street. He wanted to just throw it away, but something was stopping him from doing so. He shouldn't keep it… He _really_ shouldn't... All it would do was remind him of bad things, but at the same time he just couldn't bring himself to discard it.

Not a single word was spoken during their walk back to the station, nor at any point throughout the entire train ride. He'd never sat beside Daisuke in such an awkward silence before. Their hips were pressed up against each other because of the tight crowd on either side of them, and Ken felt an icy fear in his chest for the entire ride. Daisuke didn't seem too comfortable either - he kept fiddling with his thumbs, and he couldn't seem to make eye contact with Ken.

As soon as the announcement for their stop came, the two of them immediately rushed off the train. The remainder of their walk wasn't any better. Daisuke stayed very close the entire time, probably out of fear that Ken might run off suddenly. Ken couldn't bring himself to turn back and look at him.

As soon as they stepped inside the apartment, Daisuke immediately shut the door and turned to face him. "Listen, I-" Daisuke began, but he didn't get the chance to say anything else.

"I really need to get going," Ken spoke quickly as he made his way into the restroom. "Lots of studying to do, very little time left." Ken grabbed his belongings off the counter, but when he turned around, he found Daisuke standing in front of the bathroom door.

"But..." Daisuke trailed off sadly, and with a hint of suspicion. "You said you didn't have any plans today."

"I'll see you later," Ken tried to leave the room, but Daisuke moved so that his body was completely in the way. It was an easy enough task, given how small the doorway was.

"Ken, _please_ don't do this!" Daisuke stood firmly in place and mustered up his determination. He'd been a nervous wreck all day, but apparently watching Ken freak out had helped him find his courage. "Don't just walk away from me! I don't know what kind of weird misunderstanding we just had, but I would _never_ look down on you! Come on, you know I wouldn't do something like that!"

Ken swallowed hard and stared down at the floor, clutching his clothes against his chest. His arms were shaking and it was hard not to cry.

"Hey..." Daisuke reached out to take his hand, wincing when Ken pulled away. "What's going on?"

"I don't know..." Ken admitted quietly. He honestly didn't understand what he was so upset about anymore. This had gone well beyond a simple fear of Daisuke's opinion now. There were too many confusing emotions stirring inside of him, and all he really knew was that he was afraid. He always felt overwhelmed like this when he tried to think about this stuff.

"Alright," Daisuke said calmly, reaching out to take Ken's hand again. "Then come talk to me, okay?"

There were all sorts of red flags and terrified voices going off in Ken's mind as he was lead over to the couch, but something about Daisuke's assertiveness kept him from trying to run away again. Internally that was all he wanted to do, but he couldn't find the willpower to fight against the firm grip on his wrist anymore. It was ironic, really... Daisuke had been the jittery one at the start of all this, and now he was the one calming _Ken_ down. How had it turned around so drastically?

As soon as they sat down, Ken immediately started fiddling with his fingers. He was so nervous... Was this even about the dreams? They hadn't actually established that yet, and now that they were facing each other on the couch, Daisuke seemed very worried again. He was biting his lower lip and tapping his foot against the floor.

Ken must have accidentally said something about it in his sleep. He stayed over at Daisuke's place at least once a week these days, so it's not like there hadn't been plenty of opportunities for him to slip up. That was the only possible way Daisuke could know about this. If it were a few years prior, Ken might have thought their jogress connection could have given the other boy some insight. However, the dreams hadn't started up until well after they'd already stopped jogressing, so that couldn't be it.

The feeling of a hand on his shoulder startled Ken and caused him to jump a little, Daisuke quickly pulling away. The room was terribly quiet after that. Daisuke seemed to want to say something, but he was clearly struggling to find the words. His hands were gripping at the hem of his shorts now, and his eyes were locked onto the floor. He had a frown on his face, though he didn't look angry. He just looked hopeless. It was like he had no idea what to do. Ken could relate...

"Um…" Daisuke finally managed to get some words out, and he looked back up to make eye contact. "So… you've really had dreams?" He almost seemed hopeful all of a sudden.

Ken blinked a bit. That wasn't quite the question he'd been expecting to hear at all. "Well that's assuming we're even talking about the same dreams..." Ken answered, hoping that Daisuke would tell him what he thought they were talking about first.

Daisuke took in a deep breath, "About… the base… right?"

Ken's expression fell and he sighed, "Yeah..."

Suddenly Daisuke looked almost… happy? No, that didn't feel like quite the right emotion. Relieved? That seemed a bit closer at least, but Ken just felt confused. Daisuke's behavior wasn't adding up anymore.

"I can't believe it…" Daisuke almost seemed to laugh at himself a bit. "All this time I thought… But you already had seen it..."

Ken shook his head and frowned. "I don't understand. How did you even find out? I thought I kept it to myself really well... Did I tell you in my sleep or something?"

Daisuke tensed up at the question. "No, you never told me anything."

Ken's frown only deepened. "Then how did you find out?"

"Ken…" Daisuke winced. He seemed to really be dreading something. "I'm the one who never said anything... not you..."

"What?" Ken tiled his head. He was _really_ lost now. "Wait… Did you have the same dreams too?" He'd never heard of a jogress connection causing linked dreams or anything of the sort, but there was a first time for everything he supposed.

"Um…" Daisuke's voice was very quiet. "I've never had _dreams_ , no. I uh..." He bit his lip and clenched his fists hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. Eventually he looked back at Ken with renewed confidence though. "It's that I never forgot any of it. I've always remembered," Daisuke's hands were shaking. "I've... I've just been too afraid to tell you about it..."

Ken blinked. Remembered? Why would he use that word?

"I thought the spore might attack you if I brought it up, and I couldn't let that happen..." Daisuke's voice held so much pain and honesty that it was disorienting. "If I let it hurt you again... I don't think I could ever forgive myself..."

"Daisuke..." Ken blinked for a second time. He was so lost... "The spore can't hurt me anymore. It's deactivated, remember? Koushiro already told us it was okay now. Obviously I don't want it to ever turn back on, so you really don't need to worry about-"

"No, I mean..." Daisuke shook his head and trailed off. "Alright, I just need to say it… Those dreams weren't dreams. They were…" He took in a deep breath. "They were memories. All of the things you saw really happened."

Ken stared straight ahead at Daisuke. He was trying very hard to connect the dots on what he'd just heard, but the points weren't matching up. He knew what Daisuke had said, but… But that couldn't be what he was _saying_ , right?

"I've been trying to tell you for years," Daisuke quickly continued, though he seemed to get a lot more nervous now. "But I couldn't do it... I just couldn't get the words out no matter how hard I tried, and... Are... Are you okay?"

Ken couldn't move or speak. He was completely frozen, both physically and mentally. He couldn't find it in him to react even as Daisuke looked at him with a deep concern in his eyes. Ken swallowed a moment later and shook his head, staring down at the floor in shame. His arms were shivering and he was at a loss for words. He still couldn't move.

The room was silent. Ken shut his eyes and tried to force his mind to work. When he opened them back up a moment later he saw that Daisuke was on the verge of crying. He'd never seen so much regret in his best friend's eyes before. Ken must have looked very upset to have caused that reaction in him.

No way. No way. There was no way. There was just _no way_.

There was a terrible chill forming in his chest. Ken held his arms tightly against his stomach as he tried to keep his emotions back, but he knew he was about to fail. He shut his eyes tight and started shaking his head back and forth. After taking in a shaky breath, he felt a sob come back out of his throat in its place. Nausea gripped his gut and he held himself tighter. His shoulders were shivering and it was taking everything he had to keep his mouth closed so that he didn't cry.

"Ken!" Daisuke's hand was on his knee suddenly. "Please don't cry! What's wrong?!"

"You're lying," Ken shook his head and suddenly found it hard to breathe. It couldn't be true… He couldn't allow it to be true. He'd done more than enough terrible things to the others without adding this onto it. Daisuke on the ground, obeying him like a slave... "This… This is a joke."

"Ken…" Daisuke's eyes were shimmering with tears. The look on his face said it all, but still he vocalized his answer with a terrified voice, "I would never lie to you about this… I'm so sorry, I never meant to-!"

"You...?!" Ken fought to keep his words steady as he cut Daisuke off. "You're telling me that you've known something like this for _four years_... without telling me...?"

Daisuke seemed to lock up suddenly. His facial expression went rigid and he looked down at the floor again. His shoulders were stiff and his hands were shaking in his lap. His reaction answered Ken's question without any words.

Suddenly Ken found his voice, though he didn't raise it. All of his confusion and frustration came out in his shaky tone. "I thought I was hallucinating... I thought I was crazy... I would just break down and cry when I was alone sometimes... The images were sick, my dreams made me despise myself... The guilt just wouldn't go away... I figured I was still making things up in my head as punishment..."

Ken's voice was hitching and his eyes were starting to burn. "It was like...! It was like no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't forgive myself! How could I ever move on when I would see myself beating you in a dungeon cell in the middle of class?!"

Daisuke eyes had been slowly widening and filling with tears. "Ken...! Ken, I'm so sorry! I had no idea you were...! You didn't tell me that you-!"

"Of course I didn't tell you!" Ken's voice was cracking now, and he wasn't able to look at Daisuke anymore. "I've hurt you so much... Just _so much_ , and yet you've been nothing but good to me! Why would I tell you that I'm _still_ beating myself up secretly when I could just ignore it instead? So that's what I did... I pushed it away, I didn't look at it, I didn't bother you with it... I just got over it on my own so that you won't have to worry about me... _again_! I'm so tired of making you feel scared for me!"

Ken covered his face with his hands when his stomach suddenly lurched. He couldn't keep his emotions under control anymore, not as memory after memory came flooding back to him. Years of repressed emotions finally burst from his chest, and he sobbed into his palms. The regret of what he'd done was too much to handle all at once.

He'd captured Daisuke for three months, whipping and beating him and locking him up in cages! He'd ripped Daisuke's life and emotions away with a disgusting dark ring that had actually worked on humans, and he'd done nothing after watching Daisuke crawl toward him on the floor and beg for help! And that was just the stuff he'd let himself see! He was an even worse monster than he'd ever thought! Right when he thought he couldn't have possibly done anything worse, he...!

And they'd... they'd slept together? They'd _actually_ …! That wasn't just weird hormones?! He'd felt sexually attracted to Daisuke enough to…!

"Sometimes..." Ken trailed off, his chest aching. "Sometimes I would dream about you and me... us... _together_ , and... and I thought I was a disgusting friend to... to think of you that way. You'd feel violated if you knew! That's how it's always felt! But if I had known… If I had just _known_ …! And I put that dark ring on you, I erased your mind, I made you bleed, I…!"

Ken pulled his knees up to his chest on the couch. He didn't want it to be real. He didn't want to have caused the others even more pain than he already had, but _especially_ not Daisuke... Not after he'd forgiven Ken from the moment his Kaiser persona had shattered. Even to that very day, Ken still had a hard time understanding why. He'd never felt like he deserved it, but he'd always tried to just be grateful for it. Knowing what else he'd done to his best friend though... This only made it worse!

As Ken tried to calm himself down, he realized that he could hear Daisuke's choked sobs beside him. He felt himself sober up immediately at the sound. He'd never meant to make him cry... He'd just been so overwhelmed and he'd panicked, and…!

The more he listened to Daisuke crying, the more terrible he felt. The sounds cut through his heart like a knife. Ken quickly scooted over to the other boy, heavily regretting his reaction now. He let his forehead rest on Daisuke's shoulder as he hugged him tight. At first Daisuke just tensed up, but a few seconds later he threw his arms around Ken.

 "I'm sorry…!" Daisuke choked out. "I'm so sorry! I… I didn't know that… that you were suffering, or I…!" Daisuke seemed to be struggling to breathe. "But after I watched you… I watched you dying on that bed… and I couldn't save you, I just…! I couldn't let it hurt you again! Not again! I've failed you so many times… already!"

Ken let Daisuke cry into his shoulder without another word. It was shocking to see just how much pain had been locked up inside his best friend all this time. But then again, Ken had only ever seen bits and pieces, and even those few memories were fuzzy. Daisuke though... It was clearly still quite vivid in his mind. He'd been quiet for years to protect Ken, just like Ken had been quiet for years to try and protect _him_... Neither of them had wanted to bring the other down by bothering them with their personal problems, because they both figured they could get through it on their own. It all seemed so obvious and stupid in hindsight now...

"Ken, I…" Daisuke trailed off with a shaky voice. "I love you _so much_ …"

Ken closed his eyes tight. There were so many emotions welling up inside his chest, most of which he didn't understand very well. He wished he could go back in time and not have reacted that way. Daisuke had only tried to protect him, like he always did, and like Ken had always done for him in return.

"Mika… Sakura… they were just like you…" Daisuke clung to Ken harder. "That's why I liked them, because I'm still in love with you! I don't want you to say yes to Miyako because I'm selfish! But... But I don't even know if you'll ever love me again..."

Ken didn't move to pull away. His mind and heart were both swimming in confusion as the time passed between them. Daisuke seemed to finally be calming down now though, which was a huge relief. His grip around Ken's back had loosened a bit, and he wasn't crying anymore. Ken still had no idea what to do or say though. He didn't understand his own feelings, let alone how to respond to such an emotional confession. No one had ever said anything like that to him before... He wished he could have an answer for Daisuke right now, but after refusing to confront his own feelings on the matter for so many years... He just didn't know.

"Are you...?" Daisuke stiffened up suddenly. "Are you okay? It's not hurting you?"

"I'm fine, Daisuke," Ken smiled softly. "I mean... I'm _extremely_ overwhelmed... but the spore won't ever turn on again, Daisuke."

Suddenly Daisuke relaxed against him and took in a deep, shivering breath. "Ken... Hearing you say that...!" Daisuke seemed to be lost in some kind of surreal euphoria, his smile present in his tone of voice. "I feel so much better! So much _lighter_!" He choked a bit more, but his intense happiness didn't leave. "It's like I can finally breathe again!"

Ken wiped both his and Daisuke's eyes, and he couldn't help but smile back. "Daisuke… Thank you for finally telling me. I'm so sorry for-"

"No," Daisuke shook his head. "I should have told you sooner."

Ken smiled and sighed into his friend's neck. Lighter… That was a good description for it. There had always been a heavy confusion looming over him, but it was finally gone. It was _actually gone_! Somehow that made his dreams feel a lot more real than any of Daisuke's words had. Ken really needed to sit down and think about all of this for a while, but at least he could finally rest assured that Daisuke would never be disgusted with him. Apparently he felt quite the opposite about it.

It was extremely disorienting to think that they'd actually slept together... Yesterday Ken had thought himself to still be a virgin. It was so strange to think that Daisuke had known about it for so long, and had kept it to himself. Ken had no idea how to react to that at all. Should he feel awkward? Embarrassed? Should he like it? He just didn't know. Well... he supposed he did know _one_ thing.

"You know that I meant what I said before, right?" Ken spoke softly. "No matter how our lives change, we'll always have this." Ken squeezed Daisuke and then sat back so he could look him in the eye. They needed to be honest now. "I don't know if I can return your feelings... I need some time. But no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you."

"I know," Daisuke smiled back. "I never thought I'd say this, but... I think I'll be okay. No matter what, I'll be okay. We'll always be..." Suddenly Daisuke's face fell. His eyes glanced over at something on the coffee table for a just a moment, but it was long enough for Ken to follow his gaze over to a folded-up letter. At first he didn't think much of it, until he recognized the emblem that had been printed on the top. Only half of it was visible because of the way it was folded, but it was enough.

Ken gasped and picked up the response letter from the New York culinary school. In the corner of his eye he noticed the way Daisuke stiffened. He didn't want Ken to see what it said for some reason, and Ken was almost certain he could guess why. Sure enough, after looking over the first few sentences, his eyes shot open.

At first Ken was overwhelmingly proud of Daisuke's accomplishment. After all, this was something that he'd encouraged his friend to do. However, he felt depressed a few seconds later. They had only _just_ opened up these old memories together… What would it mean for them if Daisuke left for New York now? Ken certainly needed time to think, and to let all of this absorb, but did he really need two years? He couldn't be selfish though... He needed to support Daisuke.

"I'm so proud of you!" Ken exclaimed even as sad tears filled his eyes. He quickly hugged Daisuke so that his pain wouldn't show. "I _knew_ you could do it!"

Daisuke didn't hug him back right away. "I don't want to go…" he whispered mournfully. "There's no way I can go to that school..."

"This is so important though!" Ken shook his head and pulled away, quickly grabbing Daisuke's hands as he got his composure back under control. "I know it's scary to go to school in another country, but you _have_ to! Mimi said that you could stay with her family if you got accepted since they live near-!"

"But why?!" Daisuke was sounding desperate now. "I can't just pack up and leave for two years right after we finally started talking about all of this! There's only a few more months until that program starts, I'd have to leave before then!"

"Daisuke," Ken softened his voice. "This is exactly what will set you apart from everyone else. You'll be able to make authentic food from other countries! Anyone would hire you over someone else with that kind of experience, and it'll make your restaurant more unique once you open it!"

Daisuke was quickly deflating, and while Ken's heart was begging him to just agree with him so that they could stay together in Japan, he knew that he needed to think about the greater good. It wasn't easy to keep talking, but he forced himself onward.

"This would give you a huge advantage," Ken held onto Daisuke's hands tightly when his friend looked down at the floor again. "This is about your entire future. You realize that, right?"

Daisuke was quiet for a while before he looked up to meet his eye, and the crushed expression on his face broke Ken's heart. "You… You _want_ me to leave you…?"

"Don't say that!" Ken spoke firmly, wanting to squash out any such notions right away. "Don't you _dare_ believe something like that! I hate the thought of you leaving, but I _know_ how much this is going to change your life for the better. Even if I want to beg you to stay..." Ken sighed and bit his lip. "And believe me, that's all I want to do… But I can't. I need to encourage you to be the best person that you can, and this is the way to do it. I will _not_ let you fail or settle for less than the best, Daisuke!"

"But what if…" Daisuke finally held Ken's hands back and gently laced their fingers together. "What if we could have been together, but because I'm gone for two years, it never happens? What if you move on because I'm not here or something?"

Ken looked down at their hands. He wished so much that he could just have the answer right now… But when he looked at their intertwined fingers, he couldn't latch onto a single feeling for it. There was such a wide range of emotions in his heart, anywhere from the terror and confusion that were telling him to pull away, to the fluttery butterflies in his chest telling him the exact opposite.

Ken moved his hands up to Daisuke's shoulders. "Listen... If there's even a small chance, _any_ chance at all that I could return your feelings, then I'll wait for you until you're back home. I won't be with anyone else. I can't make any promises on what I'll decide, but I can at least promise that much."

Daisuke's expression held so many emotions, and for a moment Ken was mesmerized by them. No one else in the world could pour out so much of their heart and soul using only their eyes the way Daisuke could. Ken could see the nervous reservation in them, but more than anything he could see just how much love there was. It was like looking straight into a flame, and Ken couldn't help but glance away from it. He didn't think he'd ever seen Daisuke look at anyone like that before, not even Hikari… It was overwhelming, and it made his heart race.

"Alright…" Daisuke's voice shivered as he spoke. "For you… _For you_ , I'll go…"

Ken threw his arms around Daisuke's neck, both happiness and a terrible loss enveloping his heart. At first Daisuke stiffened up at the sudden contact, but very quickly he let his arms loop around Ken's lower back and he nuzzled his face into his shoulder. Daisuke was so warm… It was comforting to feel him so close like this.

Ken wanted to celebrate just as much as he wanted to cry. He hated himself for having to be so unbiased and supportive. All he really wanted was to be selfish and keep Daisuke close to him - whether as just a friend or as more than that.

"How am I supposed to survive without you…?" Daisuke asked in a muffled voice against his neck, and the warm breath on Ken's sensitive skin sent tingles up his spine.

"I-I don't know…" Ken admitted, choking back tears all of a sudden. He hated how much he was regretting everything he'd just said... He needed to stay strong, he _knew_ that, but it was so hard! "I don't know how I'm going to make it either. I've always had you right here with me, but… but we will somehow. We just will. "

"Ken," Daisuke pulled away and wiped the tears from Ken's eyes, his fingers still touching his cheek afterward. "Don't cry… I don't want to go if it's going to make you cry..."

Ken shook his head and tried to force a smile on his face. "I'm alright."

"Liar," Daisuke smiled sadly. He still hadn't moved his hand away, and Ken felt a blush spreading across his cheek from the lingering contact.

"You know me too well…" Ken trailed off.

"Of course I do," Daisuke said as his fingers trailed downward softly, causing Ken's breath to hitch in his throat as they gently caressed his cheek. "I know everything about you... You're perfect, Ken…"

Ken wanted to insist that he was no such thing, but he was rendered completely speechless by the look in Daisuke's eyes once again. Had he really been toning his feelings down _this much_? The very idea was hard for Ken to grasp. He almost wanted to ask him about it, but he couldn't get the words out.

Memories of the time they had slept together came back to him in that moment, and Ken's blush only deepened. He could remember the feeling of Daisuke's body against him so much more clearly now, and of their lips moving together. It made him a bit dizzy. It was hard to keep eye contact as the many images and feelings all swarmed together at once.

"I wouldn't change anything about you even if I could," Daisuke's smile was beautiful, and the sincerity and passion in his voice was almost much for Ken to bear. His stomach was twisting up and his heart was racing. "I love you…" Daisuke whispered and looked him straight in the eyes. Ken felt goose bumps on his skin.

Suddenly Daisuke sighed and pulled his hand away. "Sorry… I'm overwhelming you again, aren't I?"

"It-It's okay…" Ken said breathlessly, clearing his throat afterward to try and get his head working again. "S-So, we…" he began with an unsteady voice. "We really… slept together? Sorry if that's a stupid question..." Ken looked away when he suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed for having brought it up.

Daisuke was blushing a bit himself now. "It's not stupid. But... yeah, we did. Does it upset you?" Daisuke asked sadly.

"No!" Ken quickly shook his head, though he wasn't sure if that was the right reaction. Should he have dismissed the idea of it bothering him so quickly like that? Would that make it look like he wanted to do it with him again or something? _Did_ he want to do it with him again? He had no idea how to react to this. "Sorry, it's just hard to believe that you've known about us doing that for so long now. I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything," Daisuke laughed and shook his head. "It's old news."

"Maybe for you it is…" Ken trailed off, still not quite able to get the memories out of his mind now that they were already there. Maybe he should just change the subject. "Anyway, we should tell your parents about your acceptance letter. You should see if they're home, we can go tell them together."

"Yeah, probably," Daisuke glanced over at his phone. "I'll go call them I guess. Be right back."

"Alright," Ken said with a nod.

As Daisuke stood up to go let his parents know what was going on, Ken found that he couldn't take his eyes off him. Something about Daisuke was different now, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly. Maybe the relief of finally getting everything off his chest was showing visibly, or maybe it was simply that Ken's view of him had changed. In either case though, he seemed more free now. Daisuke could finally be himself without any restraints, and Ken was starting to see him in a new light.

Daisuke had always been very true to his own nature, but Ken was realizing that the Daisuke he'd come to know and care for had always been keeping this secret buried deep inside. Ken had never actually known his best friend without that massive weight on his shoulders. Now that all of it had been lifted, would Daisuke change in some way? Was this new aura about him just the first step? And how much would living in America for two years affect him?

What if… What if Daisuke came back and he wasn't the same person anymore? What if _they_ weren't the same - their friendship or their connection?

Ken forced himself to shove such terrible thoughts aside before they developed too much. He just needed to take this one step at a time, and to be there for him no matter what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Oh my god... So I totally had to do what Daisuke did in the last chapter just now, and press my finger down over the "post" button with my other hand, because my finger wouldn't move XD


	24. Cross My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: To answer the question about what my pre-reader disliked so much, since many have asked, it was the fact that I'm following along with the canon story as much as I am (Ken being close with Miyako, Daisuke going to New York, etc). Their opinion was that no one liked that epilogue anyway, so I should stay far away from it. But like... the entire _point of this fic_ was to tweak the canon story, so it was just a total conflict of interests. They also thought that Ken not talking to Daisuke about his dreams for four years was out of character for him, but I just don't agree with that. Ken has always been the type of person to not want to inconvenience others with his problems.
> 
> Anyway, as an American whose grown up in a big city, I feel fairly confident in my portrayal of the various cultural differences. I've never been to NY city though, nor have I ever been to Japan. I've done a lot of online research, and I have a couple of friends who have lived in both places, but that will never compare to actually experiencing it myself. So my apologies if I'm incorrect about something.

At the end of the day, all Ken really wanted was to be normal.

Being different made you stand out, and standing out got you judged. To be judged negatively by anyone was scary enough, but it was especially so with his loved ones. He didn't handle stress or attention very well, so to lose the support of the people who kept him strong... He didn't think he could handle it. The fact that he'd always been a very normal and upstanding citizen had been a blessing. He didn't have to do anything outside of his ordinary routine to keep from rocking the societal boat.

... And then came Motomiya Daisuke.

Ken couldn't deny that the more he thought about it, the less surprised he was to learn that he'd experimented with another boy during his Kaiser days. He'd despised society and everything it encompassed back then. Everything had been beneath him, so whether or not he was deemed ' _acceptable_ ' in the eyes of ' _the lesser_ ' hadn't been something he would have cared about. If anything, doing something so completely against ' _traditional family values_ ' as sleeping with Daisuke was just that much more rewarding.

But that wasn't who Ken was anymore.

If anyone were to find out what they'd done... When he'd first found out about it all, he'd been too caught up in the initial shock to connect all of the dots. However, the more time he'd had to remember, the more he'd realized just how incredibly _not normal_ it made him - how it made _them_. What would their friends and families say? What would _people_ say? Would he and Daisuke be judged? Would their friendship be disapproved of afterward? Worst of all... had he only been intimate with Daisuke as a way to lash out against his family? Ken hated to think that he would ever use his friend that way, but he couldn't deny that the fear was there.

There had been at least one good thing to come of remembering everything, though.

To say that Daisuke and Miyako had a lot in common was an understatement. Whenever she'd flirt with Ken or remind him of Daisuke, it brought back a lot of scary things from his subconscious. Daisuke was someone that Ken had done something abnormal with, and deep down that scared him. Miyako's personality frequently reminded him of his past with his best friend, and of the very possible desires he had for their future. Because of that, he'd always felt a strange anxiousness around her that he'd never understood.

When Ken had first met her, he'd reacted to that internal fear by shying away. Being reminded of the impure thoughts floating around in the back of his mind for Daisuke had been entirely unwelcomed. Once he was older though, her similarities to him had attracted Ken toward her, and thus they'd become close. That anxiousness had never really gone away though.

However, pretending that things could continue on the way they had was simply not an option for him anymore.

"I love you!" Miyako blurted out and bowed her head, her hair cascading down the shoulder straps of her nice, purple dress. She'd been fidgeting with her hands for a while now, her eyes darting everywhere except for Ken's face. She had been dropping hints the entire time they'd been out getting lunch together. Miyako seemed to have finally given up on subtlety now though, and was just going for the blunt approach instead. It reminded him so much of Daisuke...

"Miyako..." Ken trailed off and bit his lip. The wind rustled his previously crisp, smooth hair and clothing, treacherously displaying his disheveled emotions to the outside world.

Ken hadn't thought about his feelings for either her or Daisuke very much over the past week. Instead he'd focused on recovering his lost memories. It hadn't taken much effort, which had been both good and bad. Remembering one thing had sparked another, and another after that, until he'd found himself unable to go to class on multiple occasions, having become too emotional to leave his dorm. He'd barely slept in days, but even so he'd still met up with her as planned.

He was so exhausted... He was so _confused,_ too. About the only thing he knew right there, in that moment, Miyako having just confessed her love for him, was that he felt nothing. There were no fluttery feelings in his stomach, no blushes on his face, and no confusing emotions in his heart. All he really felt was awkward.

She looked back up at him finally and her expression fell. "I know that look..." she trailed off sadly, the disappointment quite visible in her eyes. "There's someone else... isn't there?"

"I..." Ken immediately looked away. Miyako deserved to be with someone who could love her for who _she_ was, but he had no idea how to say that to her. Assuming he actually loved Daisuke genuinely, could he even handle being with him and forsaking his family? "I'm not sure," he settled with, speaking both to her and to himself. "It's really complicated..."

"I have time," Miyako said with a smile as the sun set behind her, outlining the horizon of the park where they'd met. Ken stared at her for a bit. The shadows in her eyes made it obvious that she felt very sad deep down, and yet she was clearly trying to be happy for his sake. The fact that she wanted to listen to his feelings even though she had just been crushed made Ken feel very touched.

Telling her the truth was the least thing he could do.

********************

The loud hum of luggage belts and rolling suitcases filled the waiting area. Large viewing windows lined the walls, showing off the cargo loading zone outside. Planes drove past as they made their way over to the different docking ports after coming in off the landing strip. Daisuke's airplane terminal was empty, though not for too much longer. According to the Monday morning arrival board, the flight he needed to catch would be there at 5:06 in the morning, which was in about ten more minutes.

Ken was pretty sure that his chest had frozen over. He felt cold from head to toe, his sadness only increasing more and more as they neared Daisuke's departure time. He kept fidgeting in his seat, and he was pretty sure that his hair was starting to frizz after how much he'd been messing with it. How Daisuke could wear shorts and a t-shirt on such a chilly morning, Ken had no idea... He was just thankful for his long-sleeved sweater, and not just because of the weather. He'd found himself having to wipe tears out of his eyes a few times now...

With Daisuke's two year leave coming up, Ken had spent nearly every waking moment with his best friend over the past few months. Everyone was proud of Daisuke's accomplishment and they were all very excited for his big adventure. Ken had tried to feel the same way, and at first he'd managed to, but the shadows in his heart were starting to weigh him down now.

Only an hour ago, Jun had thrown a jacket over her pajamas and then drove the three of them down to the airport. Not everyone could make it so early on a weekday to see him off though, so the others had all thrown a big going-away party for him over the weekend, along with the help of both Daisuke and Ken's families. Ken had of course tagged along for the ride anyway, regardless of how early it was. Nothing was going to stop him from saying goodbye.

Daisuke had offered to back out and just stay in Japan more times than anyone could count, but Ken had done a good job of encouraging him regardless of his own anxieties. Well, up until the moment they'd walked into the airport, anyway. It hadn't felt entirely real that Daisuke was leaving until he saw airplanes flying overhead. Now Ken was struggling not to cry in public.

Daisuke put a hand on Ken's knee. "We can still turn around and go home, you know..." he spoke quietly, Jun asleep and leaning against his other side. Daisuke's carryon bags were sitting on the floor in a heap between them. "I don't have to go…"

"Yes you do," Ken said firmly, refusing to have this conversation for what must have been the millionth time now. "It's just two years. That's really not so bad in the long run." Not that he was doing a great job of listening to his own advice or anything, but Daisuke didn't have to know that.

"But it'll feel like forever without you…" Daisuke trailed off sadly.

Ken gave the best reassuring smile he could manage under the circumstances. "You'll be back home before you know it. It'll be like you never left at all." Ken could already feel his walls starting to crack, and the plane hadn't even shown up yet... Not a good sign.

"You look totally depressed," Daisuke grumbled. "You don't fool me."

Ken surrendered with a sigh, "Well, this is hard for me too… But no, you're not backing out. Mimi's family went to a lot of trouble to get a room cleaned out for you."

"I hate that you can't come with me," Daisuke said as he leaned his head against Ken's shoulder, Jun's head shifting down to his arm from the motion. "It's total _bullshit_ that your school won't transfer your credits over to America!"

"It just didn't work out that way," Ken kept his voice as level as he could, his cheeks burning from the feeling of Daisuke's head in the crook of his neck. He felt that way anytime their skin touched now...

The two of them stayed that way for a while, Ken having to force himself to ignore the looks they were receiving every so often from their small display of affection. Normally he wouldn't have allowed it, but Daisuke was about to leave, so... And... And besides, leaning on a friend's shoulder didn't have to mean anything weird!

When an airplane suddenly came into view through the windows, Ken couldn't stop himself from tensing up. He felt Daisuke do the same beside him as the other passengers around them started gathering up their things. An announcement came on over the intercom to get ready for boarding, and both of them winced. Ken was struggling to move. He could hardly hear any of the conversations going on around him in the waiting area now.

He wouldn't cry until after Daisuke had boarded… He would _not_ cry until Daisuke had boarded… That was the least thing he could do for his friend. Besides, it was only so hard because Daisuke's departure was finally happening. Soon enough he would be okay… He _would_ be okay… _Everything_ would be-

"Ken?" Daisuke's voice floated over to him through the haze, his expression filled with concern as he sat back up and looked over at him. Ken hugged Daisuke tight and had to clench his eyes shut from the sting of tears. Daisuke had undoubtedly picked up on it, because he immediately hugged him back with just as much emotion.

Promises that nothing would change in two years had been feverishly shared over the last few months, along with agreements to talk as much as possible. They'd exchanged social media accounts, which wasn't something that Ken was normally all that interested in. For the sake of their friendship though, he would now be as active as possible. The time difference between Tokyo and New York would be the most difficult obstacle for them to overcome. However, Ken had already made the decision to stay up late at least once a week so that he could catch Daisuke during the daytime hours in America.

"Last call for flight A-17 to New York!"

"Ken…" Daisuke whispered quietly into his ear, his voice cracking a bit. "Is there still a chance for us...?"

Ken hugged Daisuke tighter and tried to just ignore the anxieties that immediately surrounded him. "Of course."

Daisuke released a sigh of relief and pulled away. "Don't worry," he said as his hands moved up to remove his goggles. He quickly pulled them down and over Ken's head, until they were hanging around his neck. "I'll come back, I promise. See, now I _have_ to!"

It took all of Ken's willpower to keep his composure together. Somehow though, as his best friend finally stood up from his seat, Ken managed not to just give in and beg him to stay. Instead he simply stood up as well, and Daisuke woke up his sister to give her one last goodbye. They were now the only ones in the lobby as the attendant prepared to close the doors.

Daisuke grabbed his luggage and walked over to the airplane terminal, Jun waving enthusiastically behind him. Just before he entered though, he looked back one last time. His eyes were bright with hope and his smile was soft with affection. Even though Ken still felt so much fear and reservation in his chest, he found some clarity there as well. It made his heart pound with fear and his body tense up, the realization not easy for him to face. But as much as he desperately wanted to deny it, he just couldn't... As soon as Daisuke walked out of sight, the terrible pain that immediately welled up in Ken's heart spoke louder than any words of reassurance ever could.

He loved Daisuke with all his heart.

**********Three Months**********

"Oh, oh, and look!" Daisuke's excited voice came out through the computer speakers as he reached for something off-screen. He groaned as he stretched out for it, toppling over from his crisscrossed position on the floor with a yelp. Ken chuckled as Daisuke sat back up and smoothed out his wrinkled, black sweater, the words _Merry Christmas_ written on the front in red and green English letters. "Ryan helped me get a new phone!"

Ken forced a smile on his face as his friend held up some sort of smart phone, reflexively clutching at the goggles that were secretly lying in his lap.

Daisuke sure seemed to be having a lot of fun with that _Ryan_ kid... He couldn't stop talking about him. Just a day or so ago, Ken had received an email full of pictures of New York, all of which had been taken by Ryan while out sightseeing on Christmas Eve with Daisuke. Their arms were full of shopping bags as they walked from place to place. Of course Ken wanted Daisuke to be happy and to have fun - he wanted him to make friends in his classes so that he wouldn't be lonely while he was studying abroad. It was just... the happier he was over there... the more likely he'd...

"It's still hard to read all the English words on it," Daisuke groaned at the device in his hand, but it only lasted a second before he was smiling again. "But I figure I may as well just start now, ya know? Man... I don't know what I'd do without Ryan! It's _super lucky_ there's someone in my class who took three years of Japanese in high school!"

"Very lucky," Ken nodded blandly, his poisonous thoughts sucking the emotion out of his voice. He vaguely recalled Daisuke claiming that he didn't feel attracted to any guys other than Ken, but that was years ago now... What if...?

"His pronunciation is awful though!" Daisuke chuckled and shook his head. "But he says my English is just as bad, so... I guess we could help each other out. Oh! So his roommate is moving out soon and he was saying I could rent the room if I wanted!" he changed the subject suddenly, his words coming out very fast. "I mean, I like Mimi's place and everything, but the bus ride is killing my sleep! So I think I might do it. I'd have to get a job first though. It wouldn't be right away or anything."

"Makes sense..." came Ken's quiet voice. He cleared his throat and tried to sound more supportive. "Sounds like a good idea." He really wished he could have meant that even a little bit.

"For sure!" Daisuke exclaimed and looked back down at his phone. He was quiet for a moment before he started cracking up and shaking his head. " _Maaaan_ , Ken! I totally forgot to tell you about this hilarious thing Ryan did yesterday! So he sends me this text, right? At first I didn't think too much of it, but then I realized it was..."

Daisuke suddenly trailed off and looked up, staring into Ken's eyes quite intently. His face held a deeper level of attention than it had before, and it made Ken feel a bit awkward. Had he made a bad expression or something? Before he could ask about it though, Daisuke spoke up again. "You wanna know the most _important_ thing about Ryan?"

Ken blinked for a moment, confused by yet another topic change. "Uh... Sure?"

"He's not _you_ ," Daisuke said with an affectionate smile. "So he really can't compare at all."

Ken couldn't help but look away with an embarrassed blush on his face, his jealous anxiety quickly fading away.

**********Six Months**********

Ken awoke with a gasp. He sat up straight and grabbed at his chest reflexively. His heart was racing and there were tears stinging in his eyes.

He'd had another dream about the base again... Ken still had them from time to time, but the one of Daisuke getting the Bio Ring put on was definitely the worst of all. The look on his face as he tried desperately to fight against it, and the sound of his voice as he begged for help... It broke Ken's heart every single time.

Why was it that as soon as he stopped hating himself for all of his sins as the Kaiser, something new had to pop up that brought everything back? They were six months into Daisuke's trip now, and he still hadn't moved on... It had happened. It was over and done with, and Daisuke was okay now. Ken had already atoned for all of those things, including the ones he'd forgotten about. He just needed to learn how to believe it for himself.

Maybe it was _because_ they'd been forgotten that they still felt so new and fresh. It didn't matter how old they were... To _Ken_ it felt like they'd just happened.

After a fresh wave of guilt washed over him, Ken pulled his legs up to his chest. He whimpered and shut his eyes tight, leaning his forehead against his knees as he tried to settle himself back down. It wasn't working too well though. In fact, just a few moments later he found himself crying softly against his yellow pajama pants. He was very thankful that he didn't live with his parents anymore. His mother would probably have come rushing into the room to check up on him if he did.

There were times where Ken could calm himself down, and there were times where he just had to let it all out. This was clearly one of the latter times.

It took a while for Ken to breathe without choking. He wished Daisuke was there... He could get through this so much easier if he was. They'd talked about everything as much as they could, but the majority of it was only just now coming up, after Daisuke had already left. He was probably awake though, since it was daytime in America... Ken really didn't want to bother him though. Daisuke had more than enough things to focus on already. But... he would probably want to know, right...? He'd just be upset to find out later.

With a sigh, Ken picked up his cell phone and opened up their video chat program. He decided that if Daisuke was online then he'd talk to him about it. However, when he checked just a few moments later, he found the other boy's user icon to be grayed out. Daisuke was probably in class or something. Bad timing seemed to be their biggest obstacle so far. Ken didn't want to say nothing about it though, so he settled with sending his friend an offline message.

" _Hope you're having a good day. Bad dreams are making it hard to sleep._ "

Ken really didn't want to inconvenience anyone else with the matter, so he laid back down and nuzzled his face into his pillow. It would probably take a while to fall asleep again. He just hoped that he wouldn't dream anymore. He'd rather see nothing at all than have to remember how terrible of a person he used to be. However, the longer he laid there, the more awake he felt. He was only getting more and more upset about the dream, his tears coming back against his will almost immediately.

There was a beep from his phone as the notification sound went off. Someone had logged into the chat program... No more than a few seconds later, Ken was getting a video call from Daisuke. Had he been appearing offline? Or had Ken's message sent him an email notification? Either way, Ken answered the call.

"H-Hey..." he wiped his eyes and got up out of bed, his voice quivering a bit. "One second, I need to turn on... on the lights so you can see me..."

"Are you crying?!" Daisuke's concerned voice came out through the phone's speakers, and Ken's heart sank at the sound of it.

"I think I'm okay now," Ken said as he flipped the switch, and then walked back over to his bed. He sat down against the pillows that he'd pressed up to the wall for comfort.

Daisuke was only frowning more. "Ken..." his voice came out softly. "You _promised_ you'd tell me if something was wrong, _remember_?"

"I..." Ken sighed. "I know... I'm sorry, I just-"

"You're afraid I'll pack up early, right?" Daisuke smiled sadly as he pulled his ear buds out of the pocket of his cold weather jacket. He was apparently out and about somewhere, the streets of New York flowing along behind him as he walked. "I already told you I won't do that unless you tell me to, or unless you're like... _literally dying_."

Ken sighed, "But what if you decide that I'm _literally dying_ from these dreams?"

"Then I'd be really stupid!" Daisuke laughed and shook his head. "You're strong, Ken. I know you're not weak. But I _also_ know that you let too much sit in your head until you have a breakdown. I'd be a lot less worried if you just told me about it, okay? Come on... what's up? I just finished all my classes for today so I have time."

Ken couldn't help but smile. Daisuke could always find a way to get it out of him, couldn't he?

**********Nine Months**********

Ken watched the video playing on his computer screen with narrowed eyes.

Mimi had apparently taken Daisuke to a college party over the weekend. She'd uploaded all the pictures and videos to her social media account earlier that morning, and at first Ken had enjoyed looking through them. Daisuke had already been to a good number of parties like this with her. However, this particular event appeared to have included a bottomless supply of both alcohol and promiscuous women - the combination of which was leaving Ken with a very bad taste in his mouth.

Somewhere along the line, Mimi had decided to turn on her phone and record a video of Daisuke playing drunken Dance-Dance Revolution with his friends. Ken couldn't deny that it was very funny at first, Daisuke having tripped over his own feet and fallen to the floor a good number of times. Everyone else would laugh along with him, pull him back up to his feet, and then he'd be right back at it. Ken had been smiling for most of it, until that _girl_ with the exceptionally short skirt and revealing tank top decided to jump in...

She'd quickly stepped up to the second player spot after Daisuke's previous partner had left to go get more drinks. She seemed to try and play it off like she'd "just stumbled a bit," and as though that was why she'd "had to grab onto Daisuke's arm to stay upright!" Ken wasn't fooled for one second. He recognized the lustful expression in her eyes, and the oblivious one in his best friend's. Daisuke had simply smiled back at her after that, and said that she was welcome to play with him.

Even in English, Ken hadn't missed the little innuendo she'd made about " _loving to play with him again later if he wanted_." That one had gone straight over Daisuke's head as well. All he'd done was laugh and hit play, and Ken could hear Mimi giggling over the video. She had obviously picked up on the other girl's flirting.

Ken could understand, as much as he loathed to admit it. Daisuke was an extremely outgoing foreigner, and foreigners were exotic - especially the single ones. He was physically fit for his age, and he was certainly attractive in his tight fitting, sleeve-less summer shirt. On top of all that he was fluent in another language, which was clearly something that this girl liked _a lot_. She had asked Daisuke to say things to her in Japanese a good number of times, and of course he'd cluelessly obliged.

Thankfully as soon as the girl started touching Daisuke's bare shoulders, this time without any given reason, Mimi finally shooed her away. Mimi's reasoning seemed to have been that Daisuke was _way_ too drunk to even realize what was going on, so it wasn't fair to let it continue. Ken had never appreciated her more in his entire life. The thought of that other girl's nasty, slithering hands all over Daisuke's skin was... _Oh_ he could just...!

Ken sighed. " _I have no right to be jealous..._ " he lamented internally and looked down at his hands. " _It's not like he's mine_..." Suddenly he felt very depressed.

That girl... She could give Daisuke a family if he wanted, and they could get married. Their friends and families would all be happy for them, and there would be no drama over sexuality or tradition. In fact, Daisuke could have all of that with a _man_ , too. In New York, gay people were more accepted. They could get married to anyone they wanted, and they could even adopt children. They could have so much more than gay people in Japan... What if Daisuke could only be happy if Ken moved to America with him? There was no way he could do that... Not even for Daisuke. Leaving his family behind would be too painful.

Ken shook his head. What right did he have to get so emotional over any of this? Daisuke had every right to do whatever he wanted while he was in college. He was an adult and it was summer now, so if he felt like drinking and partying and letting all the women touch him, then he...!

Ken growled and shut his laptop with a loud _snap_! Finally noticing the tears that had pooled up in his eyes, he decided to just go to bed.

**********Twelve Months**********

Ken leaned against the wall as he looked out at the dancers in the club. Everyone else seemed to be trying to make the most of the weekend before classes started back up on Monday. Miyako stood beside him in her tight, black dress with a frown on her face as she scanned over the dance floor. She'd dragged Ken out there with the intention of having him help her find a decent enough guy to ask for a dance, but so far she'd been even pickier than him - and Ken was _quite_ picky.

Of course Ken had no interest in places like this. He hadn't even bothered to dress the part, instead looking quite out of place in his loose fitting jogging clothes beside a gussied up Miyako. At least this way no one would hit on him.

"What about him?" Miyako asked as she nodded over to a tall man sitting alone at a table. He was reading something on his phone with a bored expression on his face. His appearance gave off a very soft vibe with his slender frame, collared blue shirt, nice black slacks, carefully cut, long hair, and kind eyes. Miyako was clearly into the ' _sensitive_ ' types.

"I suppose," Ken began as he looked the guy over. "He doesn't look as bad as some of the _others_ you've pointed out."

"Hey!" Miyako nudged him with a grin.

"Miyako..." Ken sighed and motioned over to the muscular man in the yellow, sleeveless shirt who had now flirted with just about every single woman in the room. He was clearly drunk, and his words were starting to come out slurred. He'd started out as quite the smooth talker, but was finally showing off his true, sleazy colors now. Not that Ken had ever been fooled, but Miyako sure had been.

After giving him another nudge, Miyako laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, yeah, fine, you were right about him... But the guy at the table! I should go over there, right? Just sit down and ask him for a dance!" When Ken responded with a nod and a small smile, Miyako stood up straight and put on a brave face. She stayed there for a moment or two, seeming to contemplate exactly how she was going to approach him. However, after a solid minute had passed, she sighed loudly and slumped forward.

"Losing steam?" Ken chuckled and poked at her shoulder.

"I can't do it!" Miyako groaned and put her face in her hands, her voice coming out muffled after that. "I'm too nervoooouuuuus!"

Ken smiled softly. She always did this when they came to these sorts of places. Not that Ken could talk. He'd never asked anyone out before, not with all the confusing drama in his own love life. He was very thankful that Miyako had been so understanding toward his situation with Daisuke. Of course she'd been very sad at first, and things had been a bit awkward between them, but she'd come to terms with it eventually.

Miyako had been incredibly helpful and supportive lately, what with Daisuke's announcement that he couldn't come home to visit after his first year anymore. He apparently needed to work during his summer break in order to repay Mimi's father for all of his help. Of course Ken understood, and he wanted Daisuke to be responsible, but the disappointment stung nonetheless.

Miyako constantly asked if he'd decided whether or not he was going to be with Daisuke once he came back home in another year. Ken still found himself choking up at the question. He wanted to... He _really_ wanted to... But his family, the others, _people's opinions_... It kicked in all of his anxieties. Miyako had tried to encourage him, and to get him to see that it would all be okay, but it was so hard to believe that when he and Daisuke were talking less and less with each passing month. Their schedules were just so busy now, especially with Daisuke having to work all through the summer like this.

Ken had learned a lot about himself though. While his feelings for women hadn't changed at all, his feelings for men most certainly had. He'd never been very interested in love, dating or sex, but he'd only ever thought about those things in relation to girls before. As soon as he'd actually sat down and thought about it for boys instead, he really couldn't deny his sexuality anymore - at least not to himself. It was terrifying.

Miyako's sigh of defeat drew Ken out of his thoughts. She seemed to really be struggling with her nerves. It was endearing how she could flirt so obviously and without fear, but then as soon as the time came for her to say her feelings outright, she froze up.

It was a relief to see Miyako through a clearer perspective now. As similar as she was to his best friend, she had many differences as well. She was very skilled with electronics for one thing, and she had a great knack for reading people's emotions. She was very good at playing matchmaker, and she had a lot more patience than Daisuke. She struggled a lot with forgiveness though, and with holding grudges once she'd been wronged. Daisuke never had a problem with giving someone a second chance, and Ken knew that firsthand.

"You can do it," Ken walked around in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "If he doesn't like you then he's dumb and not worth it. Or gay..." Ken glanced over at the guy. "He could _definitely_ be gay... So you'd better go talk to him before I do." Ken smirked at her suddenly, "Because then he'll either go home with me, or he'll just run away."

"What?!" Miyako gasped and stared up at him. "But... But _Daisuke_!"

"Yeah, well, after all the girls that have flirted with _him_..." Ken growled and crossed his arms. "Maybe he _deserves_ to get a bit jealous! I can't believe him... He's so _oblivious_ , Miyako! It's happened so many times now, and when I bring it up, he just says..." Ken changed his pitch to try and imitate his best friend. " _Whaaaat?! Nooooo, they were just being nice!_ " Ken scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, _I bet_ that's all it was..."

Miyako stared at Ken for a moment before she burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh, look at you right now!" She gave him a sly look. " _So jealous_! I'm gonna tell him!"

"G-Good...!" Ken trailed off and blushed a bit at his own behavior. Both of them knew full well that he'd never _actually_ hit on another guy in a club. "Anyway, get going!" Ken went back to the original point.

Miyako gasped as she was nudged forward a few steps. She glanced back at him and smiled, seeming to thank him for his help. She quickly nodded, put on her game face, and then made her way over to the table in the back corner of the room.

**********Fifteen Months**********

The elevator hummed as it ascended toward the third floor. Ken didn't prefer to live that high up normally, but it had been the most affordable apartment he could find at the time. He was paying his rent with scholarship money, after all, so his options had been limited. This was the last year he'd be receiving school funded financial assistance, what with his graduation coming up. After that he'd be working, and then hopefully he could afford to live in a more desirable location.

Ken was so ready to graduate... As much as he loved school, he couldn't deny that the idea of having no homework felt incredibly relieving. The only problem was that he still didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. He'd chosen a degree in Forensic Science because of how many different fields it could get him into. Most of the jobs involved working in a laboratory, but he was surprised to find that some Forensic graduates became police officers as well.

The funny thing about the police academy was how surprisingly qualified Ken had turned out to be. He already had a college degree, which was their primary requirement, and while it wasn't in Criminal Justice, Forensics was still a very relevant field. He was obviously a born citizen, so that was an easy step. He was in good shape as well, and he had no criminal record. Knowing Judo and how to speak Spanish weren't required, but they were certainly good skills to add to his resume. Ken had never put too much thought into being a police officer before, but now that he was looking at it, the idea had its appeal. His mother would surely panic though...

Aside from his career issues, Ken was also struggling socially. He'd been having a lot of stress-induced panic attacks lately, so he'd been avoiding his friends. He really didn't want to have an episode around them. Staying cooped up in his room every day surely wasn't helping him, though. He hadn't talked to Daisuke much because of how busy they both had become, especially with his best friend now working at a cafe during most of his free time. It was apparently the only way he could continue splitting the rent in Ryan's dorm.

Ken wasn't the only one who had been isolating themself lately. There hadn't been a lot of room for _anyone_ to hang out, what with all of them graduating around the same time. Ken really didn't want to be an inconvenience by asking the others to get lunch or something, so he'd focused on his schoolwork instead.

As soon as the elevator reached the third floor and made its familiar _ding_ , Ken picked up his grocery bags and walked out into the hallway. His room was about halfway down the corridor, and he could already see his welcome mat lying in front of his door. However, he was surprised to find that something had been placed on it. He lived in a secured building, and there definitely hadn't been anything there when he'd left... What could it be?

Ken picked up his pace. As soon as he saw what the mystery object was, all wrapped up in white and silver paper, he immediately smiled and blushed. A beautiful bouquet of blue and purple flowers greeted him, with an envelope taped to the side of it. Ken set his grocery bags back down and very carefully unstuck the letter so that he could read it.

_Gah, the place I ordered these flowers from insisted that I write a poem, so here goes..._

_Roses are red, violets are blue, I can't rhyme for shit, but I love and miss you!_

_No but seriously, awful poem aside... I love you so much! I picked out the best bouquet on the website that I could find. It had all of your favorite colors, so I really think you'll like it! I sure hope so anyway. This wasn't inappropriate or anything, right? I remember you told me once that you really like flowers, and then you tried to deny it later because you were all embarrassed or something, but I know the truth!_

_I miss you to death... I see something nearly every day that reminds me of you, or I think about how much you'd love it. I hope you're doing okay. You're okay, right? You'd tell me if you weren't? You better not be like, super depressed or something and not saying anything! I worry about you because you haven't said much to me lately. I guess I haven't said much to you either though... I'm sorry... I've just been so busy and I hate it! But hey, less than a year left to go! Silver linings, right?_

_Anyway... Happy Birthday, Ken-chan! And since it's coming up soon as well... Merry Christmas! I've got a super awesome treat that I'm about to send to you!_

_Love, Daisuke_

Ken couldn't stop himself from laughing even as his vision blurred. He felt so emotional all of a sudden... So much more than he'd felt in such a long time. Part of him wanted to laugh at the silly poem, while another wanted to blush at getting flowers like this, and at being called 'Ken-chan.' At the same time though, he felt guilty that Daisuke had spent his money on him, and he was quickly starting to remember just how much he'd been missing him lately.

It spoke a lot for Ken to have felt so dull for so long, and yet all it took for Daisuke to overwhelm him with emotions was an armful of flowers and a letter. Ken wiped his eyes with his sleeve, but one of the tears still managed to fall down onto the note that was grasped tightly in his shaking hand.

"I love you too..." Ken whispered as he choked up. He quickly cleared his throat and closed his eyes, trying to get his composure back. Unfortunately it wasn't helping much, so instead he quickly gathered up all of his things and made his way inside. As soon as he stepped into the apartment and shut the door, he leaned up against it and hugged the flowers to his chest. He let his tears fall silently down his face. At first he felt grief, until all at once he felt relief instead.

He hated to admit it, but Daisuke had been right about his concerns... Ken had been somewhat depressed these past few months. Not enough to pose concern, but at the rate he was going he could get there eventually. Daisuke definitely wouldn't be happy to find out that he'd been hiding away in his apartment like this, and the last thing Ken wanted was to have to explain why he'd been doing that to his best friend.

Ken pulled out his phone and typed out a quick message to Hikari and Miyako, asking if they were busy. Now that he thought about it, they'd invited him to go get lunch with them a few times recently, but Ken had always turned down the offers. He'd always used the excuse of ' _too much homework_ ,' which they'd believed easily enough, but he wouldn't have that excuse for too much longer now.

Leave to it Daisuke to find a way to get Ken to stop bottling up his emotions, even while on the other side of the world.

**********Eighteen Months**********

Ken's fingers ran idly over the goggles that were hanging down around his neck. He glanced across the street from where he stood, his eyes lingering over the building which he'd walked all the way out there for. As soon as he saw it though, the realization that he was _actually there_ hit him fully, and he clenched up. The fingers that had been lightly touching the goggles were now grasping tightly at them. His nerves flared up and his legs went stiff.

Suddenly everyone that had been standing around him began crossing the road as the walk-light turned on. Ken forced his legs to move, though he found himself lagging behind the group right away, and was the last one to reach the other side. Only a couple seconds later the cars started speeding down the street again. His surroundings were a blur as cars drove past and people rushed by, no one paying him any attention as his vision tunneled in on the dreaded building before him.

A gay bar - not labeled as such, but the location of which had been disclosed in a private forum that he'd joined. Everyone in the online group had greatly encouraged him to come and meet them. The gay community in Japan, while quite small, had been extremely friendly to him so far. They seemed to want to stick together, and to bring in new members whenever they could. Ken wanted to go inside and meet other people like himself very much. He'd even put on nice clothes for the occasion and everything. But...

What if the people in the bar were mean and only acted nice online? What if someone assaulted him? Or what if someone outside on the street knew that it was _actually_ a gay bar, and not just a mysteriously unlabeled building? What if they recognized him? What if they told the press? Oh god... What if his _parents_ found out?!

Of course deep down he knew that every single one of those things was ridiculously unlikely, but his anxiety was doing a great job of convincing him otherwise.

He should have known that he couldn't do this alone. If Daisuke were there, functioning as a sort of social life jacket, then Ken could do it. His best friend would encourage him, assure him that nothing would go wrong, and if anything _did,_ then he would deal with it _personally_. Having someone that he trusted as much as Daisuke at his side in such a terrifyingly new place was a necessity for Ken. He only wished that he'd realized it before he'd left...

Ken looked down at the ground as yet another scary thought crossed his mind. His parents... He couldn't bear to lie to them. Not that being gay somehow made him untruthful, but his parents still thought he was straight. They believed that he would marry Miyako one day, or at least some other woman at some point, and then he'd give them grandchildren. So for him to already know that he was gay without telling them... It just felt dishonest somehow.

How could he ever tell them though? His mother might be able to handle it, but his father was a very traditional man. He'd been raised by old-fashioned customs, and as tolerant as he could be for other people's lifestyles, when it came to his own family, that same level of acceptance didn't always exist. Daisuke had been a great example of that.

Ken's father had interacted with the Motomiyas a number of times. Witnessing their dysfunctional family had only made him chuckle and shake his head. However, when anything even remotely similar occurred in his own household, such as Ken failing a test, he didn't take it as lightly. He didn't react the way he used to back when Osamu was still around, but he still expected a lot from his son. Ken knew that his father would never kick him out, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be incredibly disappointed in him. All he would understand was that Ken was giving up his family duties in order to pursue something selfish.

The thought of his father saying that to him was enough to send a chill up Ken's spine, and it was only worse when he thought about it in relation to his mother. But if he and Daisuke were to truly be together, then they would both have to know. So before Daisuke came home, Ken needed to figure this out somehow.

With a sigh, Ken turned back around to cross the street again. He suddenly felt very ill...

**********Twenty One Months**********

Ichijouji Akane held her shaking son. Seeing Ken like this was so hard for her... It brought back all of her old fears and anxieties. She knew that she was too protective of him - _really_ , she knew - but knowing about it didn't make her heart race any less when she saw him hurting.

He had come over to their apartment for a surprise visit as he liked to do, especially now that the summer after his graduation had arrived. His visits hadn't happened in a while because of all his preparations for finals, and she had been entirely okay with that. As long as he worked hard and contacted them from time to time, then she was a happy mother. However, something had gone very wrong this time.

Akane had brought up how much she loved Miyako again, and how happy she would be to have grandchildren. She and her husband had playfully dropped hints at Ken as they always did, and normally he didn't seem to mind it. Something had really struck a chord with him this time though, and before she knew it he'd started crying. It had come out of nowhere! She was just thankful that her husband had already left for work by that point.

There were many things that she had come to see in her life. She'd made more mistakes than she could count, some of which she would do almost anything to go back in time and fix. However, the lesson that she'd learned the hardest was to never ignore her son's feelings. It was her job to support him even if what he wanted didn't make any sense, and if she was being entirely honest with herself, none of what he'd just told her made any sense. Ken's lengthy and emotional story about his feelings for Daisuke and their experiences together had clearly been genuine, but it left her feeling highly confused.

Both she and her husband had been raised quite traditionally. They'd been married for a long time, and comments about ' _homosexuality being very strange, because how could you pass on the family name like that_?' had been made by her husband more than once. She'd always agreed with him, and frankly she still did. It wasn't traditional, it wasn't normal... On top of that, gay people in Japan weren't protected by the same sorts of anti-discrimination laws that some other countries had. If Ken were to end up working for a boss that disliked gay people, then he could be fired on the spot for it. He would have no legal recourse to protect himself with.

Admittedly there were some cities that were a bit more accepting now, but only a few, and the progress had been very slow. Some areas had begun incorporating anti-discrimination laws, or even variations on gay marriage. They weren't always upheld though, and they were vastly inferior to the benefits that traditional couples had. Japan had always been exceptionally slow with change... Would living with such challenges and inequalities really make her son happy?

To say the least, it all concerned her very much.

"I... I just..." Ken pulled away and took a deep breath, finally seeming to calm down. His voice was just as shaky as it had been before, but at least his tears were gone. "Dad won't accept it, I know he won't... Grandpa won't either... Y-You probably d-don't even understand..."

"Sweetie, look at me," Akane held her son's hands tightly. She gave him a gentle smile and tried to be as supportive as she could. " _I love you_. I'm not upset with you, I'm just..." She bit her bottom lip nervously. Honesty was important, especially at a time like this. She was concerned that Ken might take what she had to say more negatively than intended. He could be very sensitive sometimes, and the way he'd already stiffened up from her trailing off only further proved that point.

"Ken-chan," she said as softly and affectionately as she could. "I'm just confused, that's all. I wasn't raised to understand this, so it's very strange to me. Men and women marry each other. They have families, they pass on the family name... It's tradition, and you don't break tradition. That's what I was taught. I've never known a gay person before, and the subject was never discussed in school when I was young. So it's not that I'm upset, I just don't understand. I have many concerns..."

Ken nodded and seemed to relax a bit. "I know, but dad... he'll-"

"He'll be even more confused, yes," Akane sighed, not wanting to lie to him. "But he loves you just as much."

"I don't... I just don't know how to talk to him," Ken's eyes began to shimmer again. "If I could have yours and dad's approval then I think I could finally come to terms with all of this. I don't need anyone else to know. But I just don't think dad will ever be okay with it."

Akane looked down at her hands, which were still wrapped around her son's. She hated that there was something about Ken that she couldn't understand... It was as though he'd just tried to explain complex, college level math to her in another language. Understanding him was really all that she wanted. Maybe all of these different sexualities made sense to younger generations, but not for someone like her.

According to what she'd been taught, this was wrong and she should try to change Ken's mind. But her heart was telling her otherwise. Maybe that was the real lesson she'd learned from Osamu's death. Even back then, her heart had been trying to warn her but she'd always ignored it. She wouldn't make that mistake this time.

Akane felt a smile cross her face. "Ken-chan, I want to understand you. I don't think it will be easy for me, but if you're able to hear my concerns and questions without getting upset, then I think maybe we could get through this together. Can you do that, sweetie?" She held his hands as tightly as she could. "Can you just hear me out for a little bit now? And then we'll talk about it together afterward? If I can learn to understand this - and I'm sure that I can eventually - then I know I could help your father be okay with it one day too. He needs to hear it from me, though... Not from you. It would mean a lot more to hear it from someone who grew up with the same teachings as him. So if you can help me first, then I can help your father."

"Mama...!" Ken trailed off as a smile suddenly spread across his face, and Akane gasped as he suddenly reached out and hugged her again. "You don't know how much this means to me! I didn't think you'd want to understand, I thought you'd... I... It doesn't matter... Mama, thank you!"

Akane closed her eyes and hugged him back with a smile. She could be thankful for one thing, at least. Out of every boy in the entire world that Ken could have loved this way, she was relieved that it was Daisuke. Anyone else, and she might have been nervous for his safety, but not Daisuke. It would be much easier for her to come to terms with this, knowing it was him.

**********Twenty Four Months**********

Ken smiled as he hit play. Even before his computer had finished loading the video, he could feel his pride swelling up in his chest. He'd already watched it countless times over the past couple of months, but it always felt like the very first time whenever he re-played it.

" _Alexandra Morison,_ " a tall woman in a chef's uniform announced into a microphone attached to a large podium. Her New York accent had been hard for Ken to understand the first time he'd heard it. He'd been taught very proper English in school, but unfortunately it seemed that Americans used _a lot_ of slang. On top of that they spoke more flatly, and they didn't always pronounce their words the same way. He could usually follow the general conversation, but the details were where he fell behind.

A girl with long, blond hair walked up and took her diploma. She seemed very excited, but her happiness paled in comparison to the graduate who came on stage after her.

" _Daisuke Motomiya, Magna Cum Laude._ "

Even after seeing it this many times, Ken's heart still felt like it was flying away when he heard Daisuke's name accompanied by a title of honor.

There was a loud cheer from the crowd, as well as from the other students. Apparently Daisuke had been more popular over there than Ken had realized. Daisuke was clearly struggling to restrain himself from running full-speed up the steps, even stumbling a bit as he made it to the top. He beamed and practically burst with excitement as he took his diploma, Mimi's phone having perfectly captured his happiness in that moment. His black dress pants and white, double-breasted chef's jacket had likely been straight to start out with, but they were all wrinkled up by that point. Only his toque blanche hat was situated correctly.

The phrase _Magna Cum Laude_ had been confusing at first, and Ken had been forced to look it up online to understand. He'd heard it from time to time as he'd watched the ceremony that Mimi had recorded. From what he'd read about the various titles - Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude - all were Latin titles given to those graduating with honors. Magna, the one which Daisuke had been awarded, meant that he'd graduated with at least a 3.8 GPA, and that he'd completed all of the required extracurricular activities for it.

Ken had almost been angry with Daisuke for not telling him that he'd be receiving honors at his graduation, but he'd just been too proud to stay mad. He'd always believed in Daisuke's ability to excel in school, but his best friend had never had the confidence in himself to really try before. But just as Ken had always insisted, as soon as Daisuke found something he truly loved, he couldn't help but stand out.

The sound of his cell phone's notification alert caught his attention, and Ken quickly paused the video. As soon as he saw an email from Daisuke waiting for him at the top of the screen, he couldn't help but tense up nervously.

It was already September and classes would be starting up again in just a couple of days, and yet Daisuke still hadn't said anything about when he'd be coming home. Ken didn't want to let his mind run off ahead of him, but he couldn't help it... Daisuke wasn't intending to stay in America for another year, was he...? It didn't make any sense for that to be the case, but why else would he have been so quiet for so long?

Ken opened up the email, but he couldn't bring himself to read it right away. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to try and steel himself first, just in case he was about to receive news that he didn't want to face. He'd asked Daisuke a few times when he was coming back, but so far he'd received no responses. Admittedly, Ken hadn't worked up the courage to ask him directly like that until just a few weeks ago, but still.

With one last deep breath, Ken read over the title of the email.

' _Important News!_ ' Important... Not good news, but _important_ news... It was a small difference in wording, but a noticeable one nonetheless. Was Ken looking into it too deeply? He struggled to click on the email to open it fully, but after a while he managed to finally make contact with the phone screen.

' _Hey everyone!_ ' the email started, Ken realizing that Daisuke had sent this to more than just him. That definitely wasn't making him feel any better... ' _Sorry I've been so quiet lately, I've been working like 70 hours a week to finish paying off Mimi's dad! Not even exaggerating... It's been total shit. I managed to squeeze in a few post-grad parties here and there, but I've pretty much been a zombie for the last couple of months. Anyway, the news is in the attachment!_ '

Ken scrolled down a bit and found that there was indeed a picture attachment. He clicked it, and as soon as the image loaded he closed his eyes. ' _Don't be a job offer in America..._ ' Ken prayed internally. ' _Don't be a reason to stay in America..._ '

When he opened his eyes, what he found was one-way airplane ticket back to Japan, which would take off in just three days. Ken immediately gasped and hugged his phone against his chest, and his heart soared into his throat. He choked up a bit and laid his head down on his arms, which he'd folded over his computer desk. He was so happy... He didn't know how to react! One moment he felt like crying, and the next he just wanted to laugh and call everyone he knew!

And then the fear hit him.

This was it. Daisuke was coming home. They were going to be around each other again, and talk to each other again, and they'd notice every single difference right away, and... and...! And what if it went badly?! What if it was awkward and Ken couldn't say anything?! What if Daisuke didn't love him anymore...

Ken whimpered and nuzzled his face into his arms even further. He was suddenly very nervous. His mother knew about his feelings for Daisuke now, but his father still didn't. His mom didn't think it was a good idea to wait for his dad's approval though. To Ken's great surprise, she had suggested that he try actually being with Daisuke for a while before they told anyone else in the family, assuming that Daisuke still wanted that. It would be easier for his father to accept Ken's sexuality if he'd already been happy with Daisuke for a while, than to just insisted that it was true in theory. Ken could see the logic in it, but there was certainly a part of him that was wanting to keep stalling.

Ken looked over at his computer, the paused image of his best friend walking back down the stage with his diploma in hand staring back at him. Daisuke was smiling brightly, and Ken couldn't help but do the same. He was still nervous, but something about seeing his best friend like that helped to take the edge off. Daisuke's happiness was always infectious, and apparently it even was over a computer screen.

With a small nod of his head, Ken did his best to push his fears away. This was a happy occasion! Daisuke was coming home...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to spend TOO much time on this part of the story, but I didn't want to ignore it entirely either, so this was my compromise lol. OMG DAISUKE COMES HOME NEXT! Oh, coffee... let's be friends for a while lol.


End file.
